- Charlie Hunnam almost played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.
- He was nervous during the audition and didn’t think he would get the role.
- Hunnam now stars in Zack Snyder’s project, Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire, which was originally pitched as a Star Wars film but was rejected.
Charlie Hunnam has said that he came close to playing Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. The actor is best known for his role as Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy and saw his big break come from the 2013 film Pacific Rim, which grossed over 400 million dollars. Hunnam has enjoyed a healthy film career since, appearing in five movies in 2019 alone.
Hunnam shared the revelation while he and Michiel Huisman were promoting Zack Snyder’s new film, Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire, which is set to release on Netflix on December 21. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Ash Crossan questioned Hunnam about the truth of this trivia, and the 43-year-old actor confirmed the rumor.
He recalled the experience: “Years and years ago I met George Lucas. I got to the point where I was meeting George Lucas. I don’t think he meets a lot of actors, I think there were probably two, maybe three actors they were considering.” Hunnam admitted he doesn’t remember much about the audition, but he was nervous and felt he wouldn’t get the role.
Hayden Christensen ultimately went on to portray Anakin Skywalker in the film, which received mixed reactions. Other actors, including Christian Bale, Paul Walker, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Heath Ledger, were also considered for the role.
Interestingly, Hunnam’s current project, Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire, directed by Zack Snyder, was first pitched to Lucasfilm as a Star Wars venture. The film was later rejected and developed into a new, separate project. Critics have been comparing Rebel Moon to the Star Wars franchise due to its original concept origins.
Rebel Moon has so far received mostly negative reviews, with a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience score is higher at 73%. Viewers will have the chance to judge the film themselves when it releases on Netflix on December 21, 2023.