The Star Wars franchise is unlike anything else in pop culture history. It's unfathomably big in terms of not just box office draw but cultural influence. What other movies could make people stand in line for days to await tickets? What other movies could pull in well over $9 billion in worldwide ticket sales while still going strong? And that doesn't even take into account the assorted merchandising and related materials which, by 2014, had produced more than $37 billion, according to Wired. While you can't deny just how massive Star Wars has been, it's not all sunshine and Ewoks. The toll the franchise has taken in the real world has actually been pretty heavy for a handful of those involved. The legions of fans can be extremely passionate and some take things too far. Actors have been pushed to the brink by fan reactions and by the industry, often typecast and judged by their Star Wars performances. Sometimes this lasts the rest of their lives. While the series launched the careers of many and made people like Harrison Ford a household name, it also seems to be a curse for others whose lives have been tossed into a veritable Sarlacc pit.
Jake Lloyd says his life was a living hell
When Jake Lloyd was cast to play Anakin Skywalker, he was only 8 years old — 8 years old and set to play the younger version of a character who had become arguably one of the greatest, most popular villains in film history. Of course he couldn't have known what kind of shoes he had to fill at the time.
It's easy to forget the hype that surrounded the prequel trilogy. There was a 16-year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, so the second trilogy was highly anticipated. When it failed to impress, it failed hard. And poor Jake Lloyd took a critical beating. Four months before the movie even premiered, Newsweek was labeling him "Mannequin Skywalker." Things didn't get better from there.
As the AV Club explained, Lloyd's life was hell after Star Wars. He talked about being hounded by up to 60 interviews a day and the kids at school bullying him incessantly. He grew to hate it so much he actually destroyed all his Star Wars memorabilia so he wouldn't have to be reminded of it, and retired from acting before he was even a teenager......
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Poster Comment:
Will make no comment -- 'twould be adjudged too judgmental :-3