L.A. Comic Con - Meeting Hayden Christensen

Hayden Christensen was first announced to play Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones in the year 2000, which was also the year I started this blog, Anakin and His Angel. I was 14 years old at the time, and now 24 years later, I had the incredible opportunity to meet my favorite Star Wars character, the Chosen One and the best Sith Lord in the galaxy, at L.A. Comic Con!

It was the coolest sight ever to see large signs directing fans where to go to get their photos and autographs with Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor. They had their very own section in the West Hall because that's just how much Star Wars fans love these two! 

When I first bought our tickets for our photo-op with Hayden, I was very excited, but it didn't feel real. At that time, I couldn't quite comprehend that I was going to meet Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, arguably one of the greatest characters in all of cinema. Of course, as the months grew closer, I began to think about it more. Suddenly, we were a couple of weeks out, and the emotions started to kick in. I caught myself getting teary-eyed while driving once, and I was probably thinking too much about what we would wear, though I also don't think that's possible. A few days away, I was still feeling emotional, thinking about how my teenage self would never believe this was happening. Finally, Sunday, October 6th arrived, and I couldn't believe it! I had been telling myself not to cry in the hopes that I wouldn't be crying in the photo, not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just not what I wanted for our photo.   

When it was almost our turn to meet Hayden, my heart raced, and I couldn't stop smiling! After our barcode had been scanned, we placed our belongings on a table, walked into the room, and stood behind a short line of people. Hayden spotted my Darth Vader bound and looked right at me. I about died! When it was our turn to go up for our photo, I got to shake Hayden's hand and I said, “Thank you so much for coming back.” He replied, “No problem.” Jason also shook his hand, thanked him, and he replied, “Pleasure.” It was very rushed, more so than the day before from what I've been told, but it was the best 10 seconds ever and a dream come true for me!

While photo-ops are generally a pretty quick experience, there are some that I've done that have been quicker than others. Afterward, it feels like a dream. You know it happened, and you stare at your photo, but it's so fast, it's hard to capture the moment in your head and save it. The best way I can describe my memory of meeting Hayden is that it felt like he was someone I'd met and had spoken with before. He was so kind. Jason shared that he seems like the kind of guy that you'd would want to hang out and chill with.  

As we walked out to get our print copy, my jaw was on the floor, I was shaking, and Jason and I shared ecstatic glances. I began to laugh while tears filled my eyes. After picking up our photo and placing it in a protective sleeve (I always recommend bringing these), I started laughing and crying again! We got some of this on camera, which I'll be uploading, along with other Star Wars content from LACC, to my social media channels.  

Can you relate to any of my feelings? Have you met Hayden Christensen, or do you hope to in the future? Let me know! You can leave a comment below or get in touch with me on Instagram, X, or Threads.