13 Actors in the Running to Play Anakin in 'Star Wars' (Including an Oscar Winner Who Reportedly Said No!)

Hayden Christensen landed the most in-demand role in Hollywood when he was cast as Anakin Skywalker in 2002′s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. We have since learned that he beat out some serious A-listers for the role!

The Star Wars prequel movies tracked Anakin’s evolution from a talented young child through his descent into the Dark Side of the Force. It ended with him ultimately becoming Darth Vader, the villainous character fans of the franchise were already familiar with from creator George Lucas‘ first trio of movies.

1999′s Episode I – The Phantom Menace introduced Anakin as a child played by Jake Lloyd. However, a 10-year time lapse meant that the role had to be recast for the sequel.

Before Hayden booked the part, 300 actors reportedly auditioned. In fact, the competition was so star-studded that he recently admitted that he never thought he’d be cast.

Over the years, 13 of those actors have been identified. The list includes a fan-favorite, award-winning movie star who seemingly turned the role down for a simple reason.

Scroll through a rundown of all the actors who were in the running to play a young Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies…