What young Anakin child actor looks like now after his mum provided sad update on life
Star Wars actor Jake Lloyd made a rare appearance alongside one of his co-stars earlier this year.
The 37-year-old former actor is known by millions for bringing the role of young Anakin Skywalker to life in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
However, Lloyd would struggle with the fame which came alongside appearing in the 1999 blockbuster, quitting the acting industry just two years later due to the bullying he received from his peers at school.
His life post-Hollywood has since been marked by legal and mental health issues, with the Jingle All the Way star ultimately being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2008.
Advert
Despite pursuing a life outside of the spotlight, it would appear Lloyd has kept in touch with one of his Star Wars co-stars, as he was pictured alongside actor Daniel Logan earlier this year.
The snap was shared by Logan on Instagram, with the 38-year-old captioning the image: "Just spent the day with my brother #jakelloyd."
Logan appeared as a young Boba Fett in both Episode II – Attack of the Clones and The Clone Wars, meaning that he and Lloyd never shared any scenes together.
Actor Ahmed Best, who played the role of Jar Jar Binks in the prequel trilogy, also shared his support for the pair, commenting a heart emoji under the image.
What happened to Jake Lloyd?
Following his appearance as young Anakin, Lloyd struggled to adjust to his new level of fame, revealing in 2012 that he'd been bullied at school over the role.
"Other children were really mean to me," he told BlackBook of his school years.
"They would make the sound of the lightsaber every time they saw me. It was totally mad. My entire school life was really a living hell."
The press pressure also took its toll on a young Lloyd, with him recalling needing to do '60 interviews a day' while promoting the film.
"I've learned to hate it when the cameras are pointed at me," he added.
In 2024, his mother, Lisa Lloyd, revealed that Jake had been hospitalised at a mental health rehabilitation facility, following a psychotic break the previous year. He is said to have spent a total of 18 months in inpatient care.
In January 2025, Lloyd gave a rare interview with the media, telling journalist Clayton Sandell that he was feeling 'pretty good' after receiving treatment.
"I can now accept taking on continued treatment, and therapy, and my meds," he said. "Everyone's been very supportive."
Meanwhile, Lisa previously revealed that she doesn't believe her son's negative experience led to his mental illness, explaining that his father's family had a history of the condition.
"It would have happened anyway," she told Scripps News. "I believe that it was genetic. And his psychiatrist also agrees that Jake was going to become schizophrenic."
Denying rumours that the fan backlash to The Phantom Menace was responsible for Jake's decision to quit acting, Lisa went on: "I protected him from the backlash. He was just riding his bike outside, playing with his friends. He didn’t know. He didn’t care.
"Everybody makes such a big deal about that. And it’s rather annoying to me because Jake was a little kid when that came out, and he didn’t really feel all that stuff because I didn’t let him online.”
Jar Jar Binks actor struggled with Star Wars reception
Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels (Disney)
Ahmed Best played CG character Jar Jar Binks in all three of the Star Wars prequel films, and the garrulous Gungan has certainly proven divisive in some aspects of the fandom.
In a since-deleted tweet, Best shared a picture of himself with his son in 2018, heartbreakingly writing: "20 years next year I faced a media backlash that still affects my career today.
"This was the place I almost ended my life. It’s still hard to talk about. I survived and now this little guy is my gift for survival."
Best returned to Star Wars in 2023 in The Mandalorian season three, playing a new character, Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who saves Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) from Order 66.
Following his surprise return, he wrote on Instagram: "Thank you to all that have held me up and made me better."
Topics: Celebrity, Star Wars, Mental Health, Entertainment
Brenna Cooper