Hayden Christensen details the make-up process of transforming into Darth Vader for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, where he became Darth Vader. At the end of the film, Christensen's Skywalker was left horribly disfigured and scarred due to his battle with Obi-Wan, changing the way he looked entirely and forcing him to wear Vader's signature suit as a means of survival and protection.
Christensen made his return to the role of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, suiting up once again as the Sith Lord in full regalia, as well as prosthetics that depict his disfigured physical appearance. As Vader, Christensen is seen without the suit early on, displaying the extensive work done to transform him into the infamous character yet again. While veteran Darth Vader voice actor James Earl Jones once again supplied the character's vocal performance, Christensen played Vader in his physical form, with and without the mask, throughout Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In a new interview with Collider, Christensen details the make-up process in becoming Darth Vader once again, saying that he "enjoyed" being in the make-up, championing the use of it to enhance his performance. The actor says that he sat in the chair for "a good four to five hours" to become Vader, giving credit to the "incredible work" of the make-up team. Christensen says that the visual creation that took place affected the way that he felt and behaved in costume, which ultimately helped his portrayal as Vader. Here's his full comment:
Yeah. I mean, it's a good four to five hours getting all of the prosthetics put on, and I got to work with a great team of makeup artists, led by a fellow called Shaun Smith, and they did some incredible work. It was a lot of time sitting, staying very still while they glue layers of prosthetics all over your body. But I really enjoy just the visual creation that took place every time. It so much sort of affects the way that you feel and you behave when you see yourself like that. So I enjoyed it.
Fans of Christensen's return as both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader won't have to wait too long to see the actor back in make-up/costume, as he is set to make his return in Dave Filoni's Ahsoka series starring Rosario Dawson. The actor is confirmed to be returning, although it's unclear whether he will be playing Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, or both. It's also possible that he'll be playing Anakin as a Force Ghost.
While reception has been mixed on Obi-Wan Kenobi, viewers have seemed to enjoy the return of Christensen as Vader, as well as Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan. While it's difficult to please all fan expectations with the return of such iconic characters, there's certainly little to complain about in of appearances. Christensen's make-up effects add another layer of depth to Vader, giving a face and personality to the masked Sith Lord that wasn't there before the prequels. With Christensen returning to the franchise for multiple shows, one can only hope that Vader finds his way back for another season of Obi-Wan Kenobi or perhaps even gets his own series, which feels a long time coming.
Source: Collider