NSYNC, Michael Jackson and other stars who almost appeared in Star Wars movies
By Dean Mott
Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Walker
The casting for Anakin Skywalker in Episode II: Attack of the Clones covered every corner of the universe — and involved meetings with hundreds and hundreds of actors, according to a 2000 Entertainment Weekly article.
The list included Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as fellow heartthrobs James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker, the late star of the Fast and Furious movies. Other actors considered included Ryan Phillippe and Chris Klein.
Pretty much any actor in Hollywood at the time of a certain age.
DiCaprio would have been a dream as Anakin, but he would have also looked significantly older than Natalie Portman’s Padmé Amidala. Portman who was 19 at the time of filming, while DiCaprio was nearly seven years her senior.
Publicity around Jackson and Walker’s being considered was believed to have hurt their chances — leaks are a big no-no for LucasFilms.
The would-be Anakins (Hayden Christensen eventually got the part for Episodes II and III) even included Jeff Garner, an Indiana stockbroker who sparred at a karate tournament with Ray Park, who played Darth Maul. Garner, who now goes by Jett, has appeared in a handful of acting roles and now runs a martial arts studio in Texas.