In 1977, “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope” blasted into theaters and changed the film world forever. Two movies and nearly two decades later, George Lucas released the prequel trilogy, which began with 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” With the success of the original trilogy, it was no surprise that actors were lining up to take on roles in the newest “Star Wars” chapter. It had an impressive cast, which included Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Terence Stamp, Warwick Davis, and Natalie Portman. Also in the starting lineup for the feature was Jake Lloyd, who played the young version of Anakin Skywalker. (In the later installments, Anakin was played by Hayden Christensen.)
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This should have been a dream role for Lloyd, but portraying Anakin ended up being a nightmare. The “Star Wars” fandom was not kind to him, and his classmates were relentless. “My entire school life was really a living hell — and I had to do up to 60 interviews a day,” Lloyd recalled to the Telegraph (via Insider). It got so bad that he resented his fame and any moment in the spotlight ended up causing him distress. “I’ve learned to hate it when the cameras are pointed at me,” he said. Even after quitting acting in 2002, the bullying continued in college. Before long, Lloyd completely removed himself from the entertainment industry.
