Intense criticism, health concerns, and a devastating family tragedy: Jake Lloyd's time in the "Star Wars" universe was cut short for a shocking reason. Here's what happened to the actor who played young Anakin in "The Phantom Menace."
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00:00Intense criticism, health concerns, and a devastating family tragedy, Jake Lloyd's
00:04time in the Star Wars universe was cut short for a shocking reason.
00:08Here's what happened to the actor who played young Anakin in The Phantom Menace.
00:11Following the release of Return of the Jedi in 1983, Star Wars entered something of a
00:15low-profile period.
00:17For over a decade, the trilogy was only to be found on home video, which only allowed
00:20the myth of Star Wars to grow.
00:22Unsurprisingly, the 1999 release of Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace, was an enormous
00:27blockbuster event, with fans waiting outside theaters for weeks in anticipation.
00:31The Phantom Menace was initially adored by fans, and many committed to seeing it multiple
00:35times.
00:36However, a delayed consensus began to form that The Phantom Menace actually sucked.
00:41For one, much of the plot was strangely bureaucratic for a Star Wars film.
00:44Focusing on trade disputes and civics, the character of Jar Jar Binks, created through
00:49then-revolutionary CGI, was widely derided as shrill and useless.
00:53However, no element of The Phantom Menace was more derided than the depiction of a young
00:57Anakin Skywalker, the child who would grow up to be Darth Vader.
01:01Anakin was played by 9-year-old actor Jake Lloyd, previously known for his role in the
01:04Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas film, Jingle All the Way.
01:07Lloyd was selected to play Anakin for his enthusiasm and energy, a stark contrast from
01:11the cloaked villain of the 1977 film.
01:14Lloyd's youthfulness and often silly lines of dialogue weren't a hit with viewers,
01:18leading to a harsh and unwarranted online bullying campaign against the young actor.
01:25Acting in a film as big and as polarizing as The Phantom Menace made Lloyd a target.
01:30He reprised his role in a handful of tie-in Star Wars video games, but he never escaped
01:34the cruelty of the film's huge audience.
01:36Because of the teasing he received at school, Lloyd retired from acting in 2001, at the
01:40age of 12.
01:41Sadly, the years weren't kind to The Phantom Menace, and many began to consider it as one
01:45of the worst blockbusters ever made.
01:47Lloyd has said in interviews that he ended up burning his Star Wars merchandise, revealing
01:51that he can't get himself to ever watch the movie again.
01:54Although Lloyd would go on to study film at Columbia College in Chicago, he dropped out
01:57after a semester.
01:58I get a lot of people asking me a lot of random stuff.
02:03In 2015, Lloyd's mother called the police following a violent outburst by her son, and
02:08revealed that the former actor was living with paranoid schizophrenia.
02:12Lloyd had reportedly been off his meds during the incident in question, but his mother decided
02:16not to press charges.
02:17Later that year, Lloyd had found himself in trouble again after running a red light in
02:20South Carolina.
02:21A police chase ensued, and Lloyd crashed his car into a tree.
02:25He was subsequently arrested and held in a South Carolina jail for 10 months before being
02:29transferred to a psychiatric facility.
02:31In 2018, the family experienced more tragedy, when Lloyd's younger sister unexpectedly
02:36died in her sleep at the age of 26.
02:39Following his sister's death, Lloyd moved closer to home.
02:41In 2020, Jake's mother Lisa released a statement published in Geek News Now, saying,
02:46Jake has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, but unfortunately, he also has a symptom called
02:51anosognosia, which causes a lack of insight into his illness.
02:54This only adds to the struggle he faces, which has been very difficult after the tragic loss
02:58of his younger sister Madison.
03:00In her statement to Geek News Now, Lloyd's mother also explained,
03:03He is still a kind and caring person, and we hope to have him back to his fun and entertaining
03:07self as soon as possible.
03:09Jake will continue to make progress with the love and support you continue to show.
03:13Having to deal with the death of his sister, along with his own medical diagnoses, must
03:17have been a lot of pressure on Lloyd, who had already struggled with bullying from the
03:20Star Wars fandom.
03:21Lloyd would not be the only actor bullied by Star Wars fans either.
03:24Ahmed Best, the actor who played Jar Jar Binks, revealed that he considered suicide after
03:28the bad reaction audiences had to his character.
03:31More recently, Kelly Marie Tran faced online harassment and racism due to her portrayal
03:36of Rose Tico in 2017's Star Wars The Last Jedi.
03:40Lloyd was only a child when backlash against the Phantom Menace started, and it's impossible
03:43to know exactly how the negativity affected him.
03:46It seems pretty clear though, the world owes him an apology.
03:49If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis
03:53Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline
03:59at 1-800-950-NAMI, that's 1-800-950-6264, or visit the National Institute of Mental
04:07Health website.