Nicolas Cage appreciated the Star Wars actor even when hating his performance was the norm among fans.
Hayden Christensen describes people's intense reactions to meeting Darth Vader (extended)
Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker received a lot of flak during the first screenings of the latter two films that came out in the Prequel Trilogy. People believe that Christensen portrayed the character in a stiff and stilted manner, possibly ruining the origin story of one of fiction's greatest villains.
But despite all the backlash the character received, there were still those who actually loved the way Christensen portrayed Anakin Skywalker, and among them was Hollywood legend Nicolas Cage. The duo worked together in the 2014 film Outcast, but Cage revealed that he had been a fan of Christensen's work for quite some time.
Speaking to IGN (via CheatSheet ), Cage revealed how much he liked Vader and Anakin's portrayal in the Prequel films, praising how he was able to respond to the actor's eyes. He said:
