Jake Matthew Lloyd is a former American actor who rose to prominence for his portrayal of young Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: Episode I –The Phantom Menace’ as a child actor. He reprised this character in five Star Wars video games in the future. Jake, who portrayed Anakin when he was only 9 years old, has had a terrible life since the premiere of the film. Mental health concerns plagued his life due to his “awful” performance in ‘The Phantom Menace’, for which he received harsh criticism. Many in the business stepped out in favor of the kid actor and denounced the reactions he received. Mark Hamill recently confessed that he is still unhappy over how Jake was handled after the release of the film. Ron Howard also defended young Jake’s performance in ‘The Phantom Menace,’ noting that “Lloyd was only a child, and any flaws in his performance were the fault of the people who cast him, and George Lucas for not doing a good enough job directing him (or providing him good dialogue).” Jake left acting in 2001, citing that his childhood role had been “living hell.” In a 2012 interview, he stated, “Other youngsters were quite cruel to me. When they saw me, they would make the sound of the light saber. It was utterly insane.” Additionally, he stated that at one point he conducted approximately sixty interviews per day. “My entire school experience was a living horror,” he continued. In 2015, he was arrested for driving recklessly. After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, he has been transferred from prison to a psychiatric facility. Jake’s journey from ‘ER’ and ‘Star Wars’ to a psychiatric facility is one of the darkest falls from grace for a kid actor who once aspired to fame.
Youth and Early Life
Jake Lloyd was born in Fort Collins, Colorado on March 5, 1989. His father is Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) William “Bill” Lloyd, and his mother is entertainment agent Lisa Riley.
Jake Lloyd’s Career
Jake Lloyd began his career as an actor in 1996 when he portrayed Jimmy Sweet in four episodes of ER, an American medical drama television series created by author and physician Michael Crichton. September 1994 to April 2009, it aired on NBC.
After making his television debut, he transitioned to the big screen in ‘Unhook the Stars’ as Jake Warren. It was an American drama film from 1996 that was directed by Nick Cassavetes. In the same year, he portrayed Ronnie Collins/Young Angelo/Timmy in four episodes of the American action television series ‘The Pretender,’ which aired from 1996 to 2000 on NBC.
Jamie Langston in ‘Jingle All the Way,’ an American Christmas family comedy film directed by Brian Levant and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad, was his big break.
Jake Lloyd also portrayed Mark Armstrong in “Apollo 11,” which aired on The Family Channel in November 1996. The film was nominated for an Emmy for Primetime.
George Lucas, an American filmmaker, and entrepreneur, cast him as young Anakin Skywalker, a slave with unusually strong natural Force powers, in the first installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, ‘Star Wars: Episode I –The Phantom Menace,’ which he directed in 1999. George Lucas wrote and directed this epic space opera, which was produced by Lucasfilm.
Jake anticipated a career boost with the release of ‘The Phantom Menace,’ but he was chastised for his “awful” performance in the film. The little youngster who aspired to greatness was severely impacted by the harsh criticism he received. In the aftermath of the film’s release, Jake was confronted with health and emotional concerns.
In 2000, he was cast as Mike McCormick in ‘Madison’; it was to be his final feature. The movie was released five years later, in 2005.
After assuming the role of Anakin, he repeated it in five Star Wars video games.
Jake left acting in 2001, citing that he was ridiculed by his classmates for his appearance in “The Phantom Menace” and that the stress of doing up to sixty interviews a day was too much for him. Jake continued to make appearances at comic book and science fiction events and festivals after his retirement from acting.
2007 marked his graduation from Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. After moving to Chicago for graduate school, he dropped out after one semester of film and psychology studies at Columbia College Chicago.
In 2012, he revealed that he will be directing a documentary about Tibetan refugees in India, who were attempting to escape Chinese government persecution.
In 2012, he was commissioned to design a promotional video for a song by Mallory Low and ‘Star Wars: Episode II–Attack of the Clones,’ an American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. It was the second episode of the prequel trilogy for Star Wars. Unfortunately, he was unable to make the most of the chances presented to him.
By 2015, he had ceased making any public appearances and had ceased conducting interviews entirely. To avoid exposure, he even changed his name to Jake Broadbent.
Jake’s Personal Life
Jake Lloyd made headlines again on June 17, 2015, when he was detained for reckless driving, driving without a license, and resisting arrest. His arrest was the result of a 25-mile high-speed automobile chase in Charleston, South Carolina that concluded with him smashing into a tree.
In April 2016, after ten months in jail, he was sent to a psychiatric facility after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, a mental condition marked by abnormal social behavior and an inability to comprehend what is true. There is no scheduled date for his release from the facility, as he remains incarcerated.
Jake was so enraged by ‘The Phantom Menace’ that he destroyed all of his Star Wars stuff. In an interview, he stated, “I’ve learned to despise it when the cameras are pointed at me.” His mother stated in an interview that he no longer enjoys watching the picture and that he holds director George Lucas responsible for his decline.
Estimated Net worth
Jake Lloyd is an American actor with a $25,000 net worth. Jake Lloyd was born in March 1989 in Fort Collins, Colorado. His most notable role was as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In 1996, Lloyd had a recurring role on the television series ER as Jimmy Sweet.