Actors Who Were Never The Same After Their Star Wars Roles

These days, there are all sorts of intellectual properties with dedicated fanbases whose lives have been greatly influenced by the fictional universe they love. Since "Star Wars" is among the first of these monumental, fictional universes, the films have deeply affected a great number of people, but it is the lives of the actors performing in such massive productions that have been impacted the most.

However, appearing in one of the greatest sci-fi sagas of all time has not been the same experience for the entire cast. For some, the hugely successful movies skyrocketed their careers into becoming megastars within Hollywood. On the other hand, there are others whose lives were almost ruined for becoming involved, a decision that was then regretted for the rest of their lives. For better or worse, appearing in a "Star Wars" film has turned several actors' lives completely upside down; here are the most extreme examples.

Even though Hayden Christensen enjoyed his time as Anakin Skywalker in both "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," it did come with a major challenge that he struggled with. Prior to his entrance into the "Star Wars" universe, Christensen had not yet appeared in any major film, telling The Guardian: "It was a lot to adjust to. Usually, people have a more gradual ascent into that world and mine was very abrupt."

After 2005, Christensen's celebrity status didn't deter him from taking on future roles, but it certainly caused him to take a step back and make sure that his life did not revolve around the film industry. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, the actor explained, "I guess I felt like I had this great thing in 'Star Wars' that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me. I didn't want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave."

For the actor, the best way to move forward was to purchase a 200-acre farm near Toronto that he could escape to, and the decision seems to have worked out great for him. Christensen never completely left Hollywood, as he returned to the industry periodically on his own terms. Christensen's long break from the franchise also meant that when he was called back for the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series, he was very excited to reprise the role.

Over the years, Natalie Portman has become an incredibly prolific actress with quite a few standout performances. Her roles in films like "Black Swan" in 2010, and "Jackie" in 2016, were praised so highly that she received awards and nominations from both the Academy and the Golden Globes (via IMDb). However, near the beginning of her career, right after the actress finished playing Padme Amidala in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, her future did not look so bright.

In an interview with NY Mag, Portman described her difficult situation at the time, saying, "'Star Wars' had come out around the time of 'Seagull,' and everyone thought I was a horrible actress. I was in the biggest-grossing movie of the decade, and no director wanted to work with me." Fortunately, that did not remain the case for long, as the actress managed to land the lead role in the acclaimed drama, "V for Vendetta" in 2005. Yet her appearances in the epic space opera must have made her wary of blockbuster-type films, for aside from the "Thor" flicks, she has steered clear of them.

Aside from the stars of the sequel trilogy, like Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, whose careers are still closer to the beginning, it would be hard to argue that another actor benefited more from the "Star Wars" series than Harrison Ford. Before the actor landed the role as Han Solo in "A New Hope," he struggled to make a living in the film industry and even had to work part-time as a carpenter (per Yahoo! Entertainment).

When describing the period right before his rise to fame, Ford explained, "Through carpentry, I fed my family and began to pick and choose from among the roles offered. I could afford to hold out until something better came along. But I never gave up my ambition to be an actor. I was frustrated but never felt defeated by my frustration." It seems like that plan of action was fate because it led to him forming a connection with George Lucas, and the rest is history.

The sci-fi epics drastically changed Ford's life, however, and laid the foundation for him to star in further classics like "Blade Runner" and "Indiana Jones." The actor then became one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood and has retained that status ever since.

Prior to his role as Kylo Ren in "The Force Awakens," Adam Driver was not nearly as prominent within the film industry. While the "Star Wars" epics were not his first major productions — having previously appeared in the Steven Spielberg drama, "Lincoln," along with the popular HBO series, "Girls,"– but his career did not truly take off until the sequel trilogy (per Far Out).

Throughout the transitional period and beyond, Driver has only become more famous and accomplished, consistently rising to higher levels in this profession without significant drawbacks. In an interview with the French magazine, Premium (via starwarsnewsnet.com), he explained, "It's not changed my life in a bad way, or in a way where I feel I have lost a part of myself ... I am content with how it's played out, and I don't feel negatively impacted by what has obviously been a big elevation in my career. But I can see how that does happen to some people, and it's the risk you take when you put yourself in the spotlight".

Kenny Baker is another actor with an impressive "Star Wars" career since he played R2-D2 in all six of the movies in the original and prequel trilogies. Like several other members of the cast, he also frequently attended conventions to meet with fans and reunite with friends from the films. Though most of these moments were very enjoyable for the actor, Baker could not say the same for any time he had to interact on set with his onscreen companion, Anthony Daniels.

Baker later revealed the extent to which he and Daniels did not get along, and made it clear that no one else had ever treated him with such disrespect in his life. When talking with Hollywood.com, the actor recalled, "Once when I said hello to him, he just turned his back on me and said, 'Can't you see I'm having a conversation?' I was blazing with rage. It was the rudest thing anyone had ever done to me. I was furious. It was unbelievable."

On another occasion, Daniels was just as cruel when Baker asked if he would like to tour together for personal appearances with fans. Baker told the Metro, "He looked down his nose at me like I was a piece of s***. He said: 'I don't do many of these conventions — go away little man.'" In August 2016, it was confirmed that Baker had died in his sleep at 81 after suffering from a lung condition.

No cast member of the "Star Wars" saga had a more tragic outcome because of their involvement in the franchise than Ahmed Best. In an interview with Wired, the actor described the extent of the completely despicable harassment he received from so-called fans after his performance as Jar Jar Binks in "The Phantom Menace: "I had death threats through the internet. I had people come to me and say, 'You destroyed my childhood.' That's difficult for a 25-year-old to hear."

To Best, one of the worst parts was that the vitriolic comments only seemed to be aimed in his direction. The actor added, "There were a lot of tears, there was a lot of pain, there was a lot of s*** I had to deal with. Everybody else went on. Everybody else worked. Everybody else was accepted by the zeitgeist."

In the decades following the completion of the prequel trilogy, Best was able to move on and overcome the extreme adversity he faced for playing the controversial character. But he will never forget how bad his mental health became from the terrible level of criticism sent his way. On Twitter in 2018, the actor made a post with the heartbreaking admission, "20 years next year I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today. This was the place I almost ended my life. It's still hard to talk about."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.