Where cast of Star Wars prequels are now – from scandalous co-star affair to arrest after high-speed police chase
IT’S been more than 20 years since the Star Wars prequels took the world by storm ‒ and the cast who brought it to life have had some surprising twists and turns in their lives since then.
Disney+ is treating Star Wars fans to a brand new story in its new limited series Obi Wan-Kenobi.
The miniseries is set 10 years after the dramatic events of ‘Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’, where Obi-Wan is faced with his best friend Anakin Skywalker turning to the dark side and becoming the evil Darth Vader.
The series sees Ewan McGregor reprise his roll as the iconic Jedi Master as well as the return of Hayden Christensen as his friend-turned-nemesis.
But what have they ‒ and the rest of the cast ‒ been up to since the prequels finished in 2005?
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Scandalous affair
Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in all three of the Star Wars prequels, stunned fans when a scandalous affair came to light.
The Scottish actor filed for divorce from his wife Eve Mavrakis, with whom he has four daughters, in 2018 after a romance blossomed with his Fargo co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
He married Mary in April, after having a son together last year.
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High speed police chase
Jake Lloyd was cast as the young Anakin Skywalker in the first Star Wars prequel, which came out in 1999 when he was just 10 years old.
However, he retired from acting in 2001, later explaining that his decision was due to bullying and harassment.
He went on to struggle with mental health issues and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
In March 2015, his mother called the police on him, claiming he physically assaulted her, but did not press charges, saying her son had not been taking his medication at that time.
Then, in June that same year, the former child star was arrested for reckless driving, driving without a licence and resisting arrest in South Carolina after leading police on a high speed chase.
In April 2016, after being held for 10 months awaiting trial in Colleton County Detention Centre, he was transferred from jail to a psychiatric facility.
His family released a statement in January 2020 that he had moved closer to his family and had received an official diagnosis.
Died aged 81
Kenny Baker was selected by George Lucas to operate the iconic R2D2 droid back in the Seventies, and has appeared in episodes I through VI.
While he was originally going to play the character again in The Force Awakens, he instead served as a consultant for the character and was replaced by Jimmy Vee in The Last Jedi.
Kenny was invited to attend the premiere of The Force Awakens but was too ill to travel to the US, having lived with a lung condition for years, and instead attended the premiere in London.
He sadly died just a year later in August 2016 at the age of 81.
Ditched Hollywood to focus on farming
Hayden Christensen was cast as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader for the Sky Wars prequels ‘Episode II - Attack of the Clones’ and ‘Episode III - Revenge of the Sith’.
Soon after, he ditched Hollywood and bought a farm near Uxbridge, Ontario, devoting his time to renovating the property and learning about livestock, crops and agricultural machinery.
In 2013, he collaborated with Canadian fashion chain RW&Co to release a men’s clothing line inspired by his farm.
However, Hayden has also been in a string of films since his Star War days and has returned to the franchise for the newly released Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, which comes out next year.
Heartbreak and racism row
Liam Neeson, who starred as Qui-Gon Jinn in the first episode of the Star Wars trilogy, is now a Hollywood bigwig, having starred in hit after hit.
But behind the scenes, it has been a rocky time for the Northern Irish heartthrob.
Liam was devastated in 2009, when his wife Natasha Richardson died after a skiing accident in Montreal.
He also faced backlash in 2019, when he admitted he once set out to kill an innocent black man after someone close to him was raped by a black man.
Highest-grossing actor of all time
Samuel L Jackson, who dazzled on screen as Mace Windu in all three of the Star Wars prequels, has become one of the most recognised actors of a generation.
The films in which he has appeared have racked up over £21billion, making him the highest-grossing actor of all time, excluding cameo appearances and voice roles.
Won an Oscar
Natalie Portman shot to stardom after playing Padmé Amidala in all three of the prequels and has been a winning formula for Hollywood executives ever since.
She won the Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her performance in the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan.
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She received two more Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for Closer in 2005 and and Best Actress for Jackie in 2016.
She has also featured as Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films, which established her among the world’s highest paid actresses.