Being cast in a Star Wars film, no matter how big or small the role is, has to be an overwhelming experience because, hello, you’re in Star Wars. It sounds like it was even more exhilarating for one young actor in Revenge of the Sith, though. That’s because Hayden Christensen ended up scaring him while they were filming a scene together.
Ross Beadman played Jedi youngling Sors Bandeam in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. His time on screen is short but still memorable because it marks yet another dark turning point in Anakin Skywalker’s journey to the dark side. When newly christened future Darth Vader visits a group of younglings, Sors Bandeam tells him that they are being overpowered. The Sith Lord's response is to pull out his lightsaber, causing Sors to take a frightened step back. Though we don’t see him murder the Jedi younglings, the implication is clear -- he has become a merciless killer of children.
In a recent Reddit AMA, Ross Beadman answered fans’ questions about his experience with Star Wars. When one fan asked what caused his character to “tumble back” in the scene and whether it was an accident or something that George Lucas directed him to do. Beadman gave an interesting answer:
From what I remember Hayden shouted ‘boo!’ and that startled me to add to my fear in the scene.
So if his memory is correct, that means Hayden Christensen was fully committed to embodying the villainous side of Anakin Skywalker. He was also a really good scene partner -- he knew exactly what it would take to get a genuine reaction out of an actor as young as Ross Beadman was at the time.
Ross Beadman’s AMA also gave him a chance to answer questions about everything from how his role in the movie affected his personal life to what he feels like having his one line in the film -- “Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?” -- turned into an Internet meme.
Truth be told, a lot of Revenge of the Sith was taken less-than-seriously when the movie first hit theaters in 2005. In the years since, George Lucas’ prequel trilogy has enjoyed a more positive reappraisal. That’s helped revive interest in more prequel-adjacent stories -- which means Hayden Christensen, who took a break from acting, will be reprising his role as Darth Vader in the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
In the meantime, it appears he’s taking a completely different approach to Anakin Skywalker as far as children are concerned. He has reportedly held off on telling his own daughter he plays one of the most famous movie villains of all time. Given how well he scared Ross Beadman when he was playing Anakin, it’s easy to see why.
