Jake Lloyd, the child actor who famously brought a young Darth Vader to life in Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace, is recovering after suffering what his mother described as “a full-blown psychotic break.” It’s been 25 years since Jake played Anakin Skywalker in the 1999 Star Wars movie.
He was replaced by Hayden Christensen after the character aged up between the first and second movies. In the years since landing the breakout role, Jake has largely stayed out of the spotlight and left acting behind.
In a recent interview, his mom Lisa opened up about how he was doing, his relationship with Star Wars and his personal struggles. Read more about Jake Lloyd… Lisa told Scripps News that he is “doing much better than [she] expected” as he receives treatment at an inpatient mental health rehabilitation center.
He’s been in the treatment center for about 10 months and has eight to go. She explained that her son has privately dealt with mental health struggles for years. “Jake started having some trouble in high school,” Lisa recalled. “He started talking about ‘realities.’ He didn’t know if he was in this reality, or a different reality.