It has been over two decades since Star Wars: Episode II - The Attack of the Clones hit theaters and audiences were introduced in earnest to the Padmé and Anakin romance. But, in the galaxy not so far away, the bond between Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman continues to charm fans worldwide. Recently, Christensen delighted the public with a heartwarming story about Natalie keeping one of Skywalker’s padawan braids. However, it’s his hilarious "real" question about the hair extension that has left fans buzzing.
Last year, the former Senator Amidala actress revealed how she kept one of her on screen partner’s prop braids. Now, the Prequel’s Darth Vader sat down with GQ’s “It’s Actually Me” YouTube series. The Canadian born actor was asked about various fan theories and stories, including whether or not he knew about Portman’s hairy memento. With a smile, the actor responded:
Yeah, I do kind of remember that she kept one of those. It was very sweet. Although I think the real question is whose hair did she actually have. I used to think that, because they would glue this hair extension behind my ear every day. I always used to wonder, ‘Whose hair am I wearing today?’ I forgive you, Natalie.
Now, that is a solid question from the Shattered Glass actor. Seriously, what were those braids made of? While I can't say for sure, it's common practice in movie making to craft wigs from synthetic fibers to achieve a realistic look. It's likely that the Padawan braids were made in a similar way. So there's a chance Natalie Portman wasn’t carrying around anyone’s real life hair, before she lost the braid, which is probably a good thing.
Young Anakin Skywalker wore his distinctive braid near the end of Episode I - The Phantom Menace but prominently sported it during the second film of the prequel series. The hair piece symbolizes his status as a Padawan in the Jedi Order. Eventually, Anakin advanced to Jedi Knight by the events of the third film, 2005's Revenge of the Sith. Per Jedi lore, such a braid is ceremoniously cut off to signify a promotion in rank.
While initially panned, I think there are many ways the prequel trilogy was better than the sequels that followed — with Padmé and Anakin’s romance and story arcs being a stand out for me. With that, it's honestly sweet that Natalie Portman kept a braid belonging to her character's eventual husband, even if she did eventually lose the hair.
Both Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen have openly discussed how difficult it was to deal with the backlash amid the prequels. However, in recent years, they've experienced a resurgence of support from fans. Recently, Portman expressed her willingness to return to the galaxy far far away. With Christensen's recent return in the Disney+ original TV series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, and him openly mentioning feeling a sense of vindication with fans after his return, there's hope we might see the duo reunite on screen. Perhaps they could even have another chance to relive some iconic moments behind the scenes, like pocketing a couple of Padawan braids.
Keep your eyes peeled for all news regarding upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series. If there is any news about the celebrated stars reuniting on screen for the franchise, you'll find that information here at CinemaBlend. Until then, you can check out the franchise by watching all the Star Wars movies in order with a Disney+ subscription.
