Tatooine Times have interviewed prequel trilogy stunt co-ordinator, Nic Gillard and asked him about his time working on those movies.
The prequel trilogy was the quintessential for lightsaber duels. As the Jedi Order was at a prime level and comprised thousands of members—each one with unique traits—it was important for visual storytelling to reflect their mastery with the ancient weapons. Nick Gillard—stunt coordinator and swordmaster for The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and ultimately Revenge of the Sith—crafted a variety of styles to match the physicality of the actors portraying the legendary warriors without dictating any strict rules that are often common in swordsmanship.
“I wasn’t going to try and fit or force one style to everybody … it was determined by what shape they were, how they moved and their personality,” Gillard said.
Over the course of the three movies, Gillard established strong relationships with the actors, especially with Hayden Christensen, who played the part of Anakin Skywalker in the last two installments of the prequel trilogy. Gillard became a mentor and a friend to Christensen—just as Obi-Wan was to Anakin.
“Hayden is an incredible young man. We were together all the time, through thick and thin, anger and tears, tantrums and everything,” Gillard shared. “[Hayden] lives by a certain set of rules that he is comfortable with. He sees things very quickly, so you can’t make it easy for him.”
It’s a tough spot to be the main protagonist of such a big blockbuster movie—being so young. Hayden Christensen put his heart and soul in portraying Anakin, projecting real life emotional experiences onto the movie. The scene in Revenge of the Sith where Anakin is looking through the window, ruminating about the dark side within him as tears drop down his cheek is a statement of his emotional attachment to the role.
Click on this link to read the full interview.
