In a Galaxy Far, Far Away, I Was Almost Anakin Skywalker | 'Almost Famous' by Op-Docs

Video Description

It was the late 1990s, and 3,000 young actors around the world were scouted for the role of a lifetime. On the ride home from school, Devon Michael’s mom told him he’d be auditioning for one of the most anticipated movies ever. “The Phantom Menace” — then the next installment of the “Star Wars” franchise — was in production, and they were searching for young Anakin Skywalker. Growing up, Michael had small roles in commercials, television shows and movies. At 9 years old, he understood that an opportunity like “Star Wars” could change his life. From 3,000, the producers narrowed it down to three, and soon Michael was at Skywalker Ranch doing a test screen with George Lucas and Natalie Portman. The role ultimately went to Jake Lloyd, who experienced a level of criticism and bullying that would be alarming for even an adult actor. In Ben Proudfoot's "The Unchosen One," Michael shares his experience as a child actor and urges the public not to forget that they’re just kids. See more of "Almost Famous:" https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CGYNsoW2iALgt6KRyVQYSEoNFTaHKzo Credits Director: Ben Proudfoot Editor: Minh Hieu Bui Featuring: Devon Michael Producers: Elizabeth Brooke, Abby Lynn Kang Davis, Gabriel Berk Godoi, Ben Proudfoot, Brandon Somerhalder, Sarah Stewart Co-Producer: Jeremy Lambert Cinematographer: Byron Kopman Original Score Composed and Orchestrated by: Nicholas Jacobson-Larson Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer: Sean Higgins Colorist: Stephen Derluguian Post Production Supervisor: Dillon Brown and Laura Carlson Cultural Consultant: David Faddis Assistant Editor: Cody Wilson Sound Designer: Tom Boykin Additional Music: Erik Kertes Musicians: Nicholas Jacobson-Larson, Erik Kertes, Garth Neustadter, Saxophone Greg Agid Vocals: Loren Battley Story Reported by: Dillon Brown Consulting Cinematographer: Brandon Somerhalder More from The New York Times Video: Subscribe: http://bit.ly/U8Ys7n Watch all of our videos here: http://nytimes.com/video Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nytvideo Twitter: https://twitter.com/nytvideo ---------- Op-Docs is the New York Times’ award-winning series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers. Learn more about Op-Docs and how to submit to the series. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NYTopinion).