Jake Lloyd, Young Anakin from ‘Star Wars,’ Opens Up About His Struggle with Schizophrenia

Jake Lloyd, best remembered for his role as Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, has opened up about his long struggle with schizophrenia. This battle led him to step away from acting not long after the film’s release in 1999.

Recently, Lloyd spent 18 months in an inpatient mental health facility in Southern California. Now, he says he’s feeling ‘pretty good’ and is continuing treatment at a center where he has more freedom to come and go:

[I’m feeling] pretty good, considering these 20 years of time that have come to an end. I can now accept taking on continued treatment, and therapy, and my meds. Everyone’s been very supportive.

Source: Variety

Lloyd acknowledged the support he has received, making it easier to stay committed to therapy and medication.

At one point, Lloyd hit what he described as ‘rock bottom’, but he believes it was a necessary step toward embracing his treatment fully. He said taking his medication consistently helps him maintain stability, calling it a ‘cushion’ that prevents mood swings.

Lloyd’s mother, Lisa, addressed rumors that the harsh criticism of The Phantom Menace drove her son out of acting. She clarified that his 2008 schizophrenia diagnosis was the main reason. Lisa also shared how she protected Jake from the backlash, allowing him to focus on being a kid, away from the online negativity:

It would have happened anyway. I believe that it was genetic. And his psychiatrist also agrees that Jake was going to become schizophrenic. I protected him from the [‘The Phantom Menace’] 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.

This insight into Lloyd’s journey reveals how he has faced challenges and found ways to manage his mental health over the years.

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