'He Could've Gone To The Beach!': Hayden Christensen & Ewan McGregor On Obi-Wan Kenobi & Sand Theory

Our entertainment reporter Olivia Marks caught up with the incredible Hayden Christensen & Ewan McGregor to talk all things Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars!

Find out whether Hayden thinks Anakin would've gone to the dark side if he liked sand, what their most memorable fan encounters have been and who they'd love to see Darth Vader take on.

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[Frostwiggles]

I love that Hayden is getting the Andrew Garfield treatment and finally being welcomed by fans and enjoying himself.

[NicholasLightTV]

nothing makes me happier than seeing these 2 together again. god i cant wait for this show this week

[anastasiabell]

It's like watching Obi and Ani in a "Anakin never turned to the dark side" What If show. They are both so chill here. I can't stop smiling, I'm sO happy. I need ALL the Ewan/Hayden interviews.

[spideyfan]

I love how Hayden actually came back to Star Wars. It was such a disappointment how he only came back for a two second voice cameo in the Rise of Skywalker. This is where he belongs. I can’t wait to see even more of him in Ahsoka’s show.

[gutspillage]

I'm almost crying and sometimes fully crying seeing Hayden and Ewan back together. They are my childhood icons. And Hayden is my teenage crush.

[WisdomThumbs]

Never realized people took issue with “I hate sand.” Anakin’s childhood and his explanation of sand made a great case against the stuff.

[Beserker]

“Like you trained his father?!” Is an absolutely brutal thing to say, such a great line!

[Mpiewizard]

It makes me so weirdly happy to know that Hayden basically created Anakin’s signature lightsaber twirl.

[TheBenduOrder]

Hayden Christensen even starts to sound more like Vader. His low pitch voice is amazing!

[r.c.c.]

I've always seen the dialogue of "I don't like sand" the same way Hayden sees it. Glad about that. The criticism for that is completely ridiculous.

[marisri]

Seeing Ewan and Hayden together again after such a long time brings warm feelings to my heart😊Great interview and chemistry between them. I also missed Hayden's beautiful smile😍

[Ruylopez]

There was a lot of subtext to the scene where Anakin says he hates sand. Padme is talking about idyllic days on the beach (which this location reminds her of and takes her away from the recent attempts on her life). Anakin contrasts her childhood, with his as a slave. But also he's trying to distance himself from that association, because as a Jedi he has autonomy and status, and is more like her equal than when they first met. On top of that, he's desperately trying to be a man, and not the 'boy' she talked about at the start of the movie when they first meet again.
They are both contrasting their childhoods with obligations and burdens they now face as Jedi and senator, and how their time together on Naboo is a moment of freedom they can reflect on the past and who they were and how far they've come. Despite being so different, they are in many ways facing similar struggles as young people.

[petertracycarroll]

Anakin was my hero growing up and I was so sad to see the hate Hayden got for playing him so seeing him back is like a dream come true

[adastra]

Exactly! people blame that scene for bad dialogue when it's really just his way of showing how much he hated that life, surrounded by sand because that's all he knew for the first ten years of his life and it brings back bad memories for him. It's amazing to see how well Hayden understands his character.

[coyy]

Seeing them together just makes me smile.

[luisfelipemeirellescoelho]

Normally actors feel like they do these press things bc they need to, but these two just feel like they genuinely enjoy doing it, love it so much

[andromedagalaxy_]

The way they look at each other is so wholesome 🥺

[nikmar]

For everyone that criticized the sand line: try living your life in a place where every now and then there is a sandstorm. It wouldn't be so nice would it? There is a huge difference between a beach and a desert. It was also a nice differentiation to Anakin and Padme's upbringing. Padme liked sand because of the beach and was free. Anakin hated it because of the desert and his slavery

[ManyWaysFilms]

It’s Incredible to see them both together promoting Star Wars, it’s like time didn’t pass, I’m so excited for the show!

[roadwarrior]

It’s good to see Hayden look genuinely happy. He deserves it.