Being on the Dark Side comes at the cost of mobility.
Hayden Christensen, who is slated to appear as the iconic villain Darth Vader in the upcoming Disney+ series “Kenobi,” revealed Wednesday that he worked with a special choreographer to perfect the Dark Lord’s manner of moving, reports Entertainment Weekly.
“We had this woman who was like a Vader movement specialist,” said Christensen. “And she made sure that we were always in the right ballpark.”
The 41-year-old “Shattered Glass” actor, who portrayed the villain briefly in “Revenge of the Sith,” also revealed that the suit really changed the way that he had to walk while in character.
“We wanted to make sure that we were staying true to how Vader moves and how we perceive him, and wanting to keep all that relatively consistent,” explained Christensen.
Joann Jansen, who worked with Christensen on “Kenobi,” has been a part of several high-profile projects including James Cameron’s upcoming “Avatar: Way of the Water” and “Remember the Titans.”
“It’s challenging,” Christensen told EW, recalling the discomfort of the first time that he actually put on the black suit.
“I was really having a tough time moving around in it, and it was all extremely rigid. And I said that to George [Lucas], and he said, ‘It’s okay. This is your first time in this suit. So it should feel very mechanical and maybe not very natural.’”
Christensen stressed the importance of having someone help him with movement, as the show is set 10 years after the character is first put into the suit and he’s had a lot of time to acclimate to it.
Another question that has risen since it was announced Vader would be making a return is: Who will provide his voice? At this point in time, it is unknown if James Earl Jones — who provided the voice for Vader since his first on-screen appearance in 1977 — will return to do the voice.
“Obviously, we stay true to the voice that we all know and love,” said Christensen.
“Kenobi” starts streaming on Disney+ on May 27, 2022.