Darth Vader lives. The Empire rises. And, finally, George Lucas brings to a close his Star Wars saga with the best of the three prequels, Episode III-Revenge of the Sith.
But will the Force–at least in regards to their post-Star Wars careers–be with Lucas‘ four most prominent on-screen accomplices in the three prequels?
Hayden Christensen
Last Seen: Shattered Glass ($2.2 million)
Next: The Decameron (2006)
The Bottom Line: Christensen was an unknown when Lucas handpicked him to play the young man who would be Darth Vader. Three years after Attack of the Clones Christensen remains very much an unknown quantity. Lucas is more comfortable pursuing technological breakthroughs than directing actors, and that’s sadly reflected in Christensen‘s emotionally lacking portrayal of the conflicted Anakin Skywalker. But Christensen showed promise in the fact-based Shattered Glass, his sole offering between Star Wars prequels. He proved suitably smarmy and ingratiating as Stephen Glass, the disgraced New Republic journalist. With his Star Wars stint over, he’s now avoiding the Bubonic Plague in The Decameron, an adaptation of the collection of novellas by 14th-century writer Giovanni Boccaccio. Unfortunately, The Decameron could be a tough sell following such historical disappointments as King Arthur, Alexander and Kingdom of Heaven. And Christensen‘s wrong to scoff at the notion he will be forever associated with Darth Vader. Remember poor Mark Hamill? Since Return of the Jedi, Hamill‘s practically paid the bills by lending his voice to dozens of superhero-themed animated films and TV shows. If Christensen wants to escape the same fate as Hamill, he must move more quickly and decisively to distance himself from Lucas‘ sprawling space opera.
Samuel L. Jackson
Last Seen: XXX: State of the Union ($20.7 million, through May 8)
Next: The Man (Sept. 9), Freedomland (Jan. 13, 2006), Pacific Air 121 (2006)
The Bottom Line: Jackson doesn’t need Star Wars, and Star Wars doesn’t need Jackson. All Jackson gets out of wielding Mace Windu’s lightsaber is living his lifelong dream of playing integral role in the Star Wars legacy. Oh, and let’s not forget Windu’s kick-ass demise in Revenge of the Sith, which Jackson lobbied for loudly for years. A workaholic long before The Phantom Menace, Jackson seemingly takes every job he’s offered. He’s not afraid to go from big-budget spectacles to mainstream dramas to esoteric art house fare, and he always emerges unscathed from disasters such as Twisted and XXX: State of the Union. Sure, it would be nice if Jackson was a tad discriminating. Does he really need to board a plane crawling with snakes in Pacific Air 121? But no matter what he does, Jackson always walks away as cool as Fonzie.
Ewan McGregor
Last Heard: Robots ($124.6 million, through May 8)
Next: The Island (July 22), Valiant (Aug. 19), Stay (2005)
The Bottom Line: The task was daunting: depict a young Obi-Wan Kenobi with the same grace and nobility the legendary Alec Guinness lent the Jedi Knight in his twilight years. But McGregor was up to the challenge, and consequently no one’s reaped the benefits of the prequels more than this Trainspotting Scotsman. Previously known for such modest British fare as Shallow Grave and Little Voice, McGregor‘s wisely employed Star Wars as a springboard to collaborate with such directors as Tim Burton (Big Fish), Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge) and Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down). Given that he found shooting the effects-heavy Star Wars series somewhat laborious, he unsurprisingly himself throw himself into demanding or idiosyncratic projects to stretch as an actor between prequels. He’s even got a side gig voicing cartoon characters (Robots and Disney’s Valiant). But McGregor‘s yet to establish himself as a star in his own right, as he’s usually overshadowed by his big-name directors or such on-screen love interests as Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger. That’s could change with The Island, from Armageddon‘s Michael Bay. This Logan’s Run-style sci-fi chiller will finally reveal whether McGregor has what it takes to draw audiences on this side of the Atlantic.
Natalie Portman
Last Seen: Closer ($33.9 million)
Next: V for Vendetta (Nov. 4), Free Zone (TBA)
The Bottom Line: The things Portman does to her hair for the sake of her art. First she parades around Revenge of the Sith with those Danish-like hair buns made famous by Princess Leia. Now she’s pulled a Sinead O’Connor for V for Vendetta, the Wachowski brothers-produced adaptation of Alan Moore’s futuristic graphic novel. Or maybe Portman just torn out her long brown hair after seeing Revenge of the Sith. The third and final prequel shamelessly reduces Portman‘s Padmé to nothing more than the carrier of Anakin Skywalker’s unborn twin children. Hopefully she’ll get to bust some skulls in V for Vendetta, which drops her in the middle of a revolution in a totalitarian Britain. Ultimately, Portman‘s participation in Star Wars sadly proved to be a waste of her time and talent. Yes, Portman attended Harvard from 1999 through 2003. And that meant she couldn’t lend her presence to more worthy endeavors than Star Wars when not in class. With her studies over, Portman reestablished herself last year as a compelling young actress thanks to Garden State and Closer, which earned her a Golden Globe. With Star Wars no longer demanding her time and attention, Portman can dedicate herself to taxing roles that will bring her even closer to an Oscar than Closer.
