Hayden Christensen Recalls Robert De Niro’s Surprise Visit to Star Wars Set

Hayden Christensen recently opened up about an unexpected moment on the set of Revenge of the Sith that left a lasting impression on him. While filming the intense lightsaber showdown between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, a legendary actor made an unannounced appearance that caught everyone off guard.

Christensen recalled,

"I remember during one of the days that we were filming that fight, Robert De Niro showed up to set, just because he wanted to come see what we were doing – not us, but George, [he] wanted to see what George was doing. And obviously, I am a huge fan of his. I remember just standing with Ewan [McGregor], and Ewan says to me, 'Is that Robert De Niro standing over there?' And I'm looking over like, 'Yeah, I think that is him.'"

The actor shared this story while speaking at Fan Expo New Orleans, describing the surreal experience of seeing De Niro on set.

Starstruck on Set

Both Christensen and Ewan McGregor were taken aback by De Niro’s presence. The two actors, in the midst of preparing for one of the most iconic duels in the Star Wars saga, found themselves momentarily distracted by the Hollywood legend quietly observing the action from the sidelines.

As Christensen continued,

"And so we're excited he's there, and then he walked over, and he was very friendly,"

he said. The encounter quickly turned into a memorable exchange, as De Niro approached the actors with genuine interest in their work and the filmmaking process.

A Shared Ritual

Christensen went on to describe a personal moment he shared with De Niro during the visit.

"And I remember, because I would do a lot of push-ups before each take to try to get my heart rate up and a little exhaustion going, and he came over to me and he said, 'You know, I see you doing push-ups before the takes.' He was like, 'I do that, too.' That felt good."

The brief conversation left Christensen feeling validated, knowing that a screen icon like De Niro shared a similar approach to getting into character.

The story offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a major film production, highlighting the camaraderie and mutual respect among actors, even across different generations and genres.