Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Even beforeStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menacemade its way to the theatre, Newsweek published an article bashing the film, whose criticisms were based on the trailer’s upbeat tone and rumors. Moreover, the piece also took shots at Jake Lloyd, who was 9 at the time, following the rumors surrounding his portrayal of young Anakin Skywalker.
Furious by the article, which targeted Lloyd without even seeing the film,The Da Vinci Codedirector Ron Howard wrote a letter in support of the child actor to the outlet.
Ron Howard Was Furious by the Scathing Piece Taking Jabs at Jake Lloyd
In the section“The Kid Can’t Act”, the piece took shots at Jake Lloyd, stating that he’s“Mannequin Skywalker”. Furthermore, the criticisms regarding theJingle All the Waystar’s acting chops in the article were allegedly based on rumors and unnamed sources surrounding Lloyd’s performance.
Appalled by the situation,SolodirectorRon Howardcalled out the outlet for targeting a kid without even seeing the film. In his support letter, which recently resurfaced online, the director deemed this act from the publication“shameful”and“downright irresponsible”.
The letter Ron Howard sent to Newsweek after an article critiqued Jake Lloyd’s performance as Anakin Skywalker in ‘The Phantom Menace’ (1999)
Jake was 9 years old at the timepic.twitter.com/6PCwQ9hBjh
— Star Wars Facts (@sw_tweets)July 19, 2025
Shortly afterEpisode 1, Lloyd ended up retiring from acting altogether, with his last acting credit being Mike McCormick in 2001’sMadison.
Mark Hamill Too Stood in Support of Jake Lloyd
Howard isn’t the lone major Hollywood figure to come forward in defense of the former child actor, as Luke Skywalker himself shared his dismay towards the overwhelming hate towards Lloyd.
“The greatest Batman of all time”: DC Fans Get Emotional as They Brace Themselves to Watch the Duo of Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy For One Last Time
Mark Hamillrevealed that theMadisonstar followed George Lucas’ instructions and did what he was asked to do, stressing that he was angry with the way the media and public treated Lloyd.
He said (viaHeroic Hollywood):
“I couldn’t believe some of the things they wrote about the prequels, you know. I mean really, beyond I didn’t like it. I’m still angry about the way they treated Jake Lloyd. He was only ten years old, that boy, and he did exactly what George wanted him to do. Believe me, I understand clunky dialog.”
However, on a positive note, the former actor has been showcasing signs of improvement after being diagnosed with schizophrenia,“He’s doing much better than I expected”,statedhis mother. While she clarified that theStar Warssituation had nothing to do with his mental health issues, it’s safe to say that receiving such overwhelming hate at a young age definitely had a lasting impact on Lloyd.
“That was the whole point”: George Lucas Revealed the Real Meaning of Star Wars to James Cameron Who Compared The Good Guys to Terrorists
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menaceis available to stream on Disney Plus.
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
