'Star Wars' Prequel Trilogy Actors: Where Are They Now?

The "Star Wars" prequel trilogy used to be controversial until the sequel trilogy came along. The trilogy's reputation has improved with time and memes have softened what used to be seen as truly cringe-worthy dialogue.

However, the roles were influential for many actors, who used their role in the franchise as just another stepping stone in their careers. Here's a brief look at some of the stars from the prequel trilogy and what they're up to now.

Natalie Portman may have traded “Star Wars” for Marvel when she appeared in “Thor” but fans will always know her as Queen Padmé Amidala. After her time in “Star Wars,” she also had notable roles in 2005’s “V for Vendetta” as Evey and 2007’s “My Blueberry Nights” as Leslie. She played Anne Boleyn in 2008’s “The Other Boleyn Girl” and Emilia in 2009’s “The Other Woman.”

In 2010, she received notoriety for her role in “Black Swan” and played Emma in “No Strings Attached” a year later. In addition to reprising her role in “Thor: Love and Thunder” later this year, she has also been tapped to play Elizabeth Berry in “May December,” Ronnie in “Foxy Trotter,” and Rosemary Cooke in the TV mini-series “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.”

Although he only appeared in 1999’s “The Phantom Menace,” Liam Neeson will forever be known to “Star Wars” fans as the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, who basically kicked off the events of the Skywalker Saga.

Although he had plenty of films before his role, he also appeared in “K-19: The Widowmaker” alongside another “Star Wars” alum, Harrison Ford. In 2005, he appeared in “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Batman Begins” as Ducard.

In 2010, he appeared in both “Clash of the Titans” as Zeus and “The A-Team” as Hannibal. While he has 139 acting credits to his name, Neeson’s most recent credits include “Blacklight” and “Memory.” He has also been tapped for “Retribution,” “Marlowe,” “In The Land of Saints and Sinners,” and “Charlie Johnson in the Flames.”

Even despite his exhaustive work history, fans still have hope that he will return to the “Star Wars” franchise as Qui-Gon Jinn someday (and his voice in “The Rise of Skywalker” doesn’t count.)

Hayden Christensen has had a series of smaller roles since his time on “Star Wars” wrapped, including Will in “First Kill” and James Kelly in “American Heist.” However, fans are looking forward to him coming back as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in the upcoming “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Ahsoka” TV series.

Ewan McGregor won’t be in Ahsoka, but the Emmy-award-winning “Halston” actor will be reprising his role as a younger Obi-Wan Kenobi for the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” six-episode limited series. The show was initially supposed to debut on May 25, 2022, to mark the 45th anniversary of “A New Hope,” which premiered in theaters on May 25, 1977. However, the series premiere was pushed back two days to coincide with the annual fan event “Star Wars” celebration, which is taking place in Anaheim, California, this year.

In addition to his role as Lumière in 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast,” McGregor met his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who will also be appearing in the upcoming “Ahsoka” series) on the set of “Fargo.” In 2018, McGregor played Christopher Robin in the film of the same name and appeared as an older Dan Torrance in 2019’s “Doctor Sleep,” a sequel to the 1980 horror movie, “The Shining.”

McGregor also has several roles in post-production, including Raymond in “Raymond & Ray” and the voice of Sebastian J. Cricket in “Pinocchio.” He has also been tapped for “The Land of Sometimes,” “The Cow” and “Everest,” which are all in pre-production.

Regardless, fans can’t wait to see him reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi when the limited series debuts on May 27.