There are movies and series that can make someone’s career and then there are movies who are also responsible for ruining someone’s career. Jake Lloyd saw both fame and downfall, that too because of the same movie.
Jake Lloyd wasn’t so famous before The Phantom Menace. It was only The Phantom Menace that gave Jake Llyod the fame and fortune. The fame that he got was beyond comparison. He was the one who was solely responsible for shaping the character. He obviously had a lot of responsibility on his little shoulders and to an extent he actually did what he was expected to do.
The Phantom Menace was a splendid short film which showcased remarkable special effects. He gained recognition when George Lucas chose him to play young Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. This movie was the first in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Darth Vader was portrayed as a young, whiny and almost an unbelievable character.
It made nearly $90m at the box office. But there is one person who wasn’t happy with all this. Any guesses? Well, it was none other than Jake Llyod. He played young Anakin Skywalker in the film.
The Phantom Menace was his major revolutionary role. Ironically, this role ruined his career too.
He was only eight when he played Anakin in the film. In an interview, he revealed that the film was responsible for destroying his childhood. According to him, other children were quite mean to him. He mentioned that he faced a lot of bullying at school and that his peers would make the sound of the lightsaber whenever he came in front of them. It was also reported that Lloyd was very upset by the whole process of shooting that he thought that he would quit acting.
To add on to all this the movie was hugely criticized. But who is to be blamed for all this? Life became hell for this star. This movie actually marked both the beginning and the end of Lloyd’s acting career.
