Former child star Jake Lloyd played young Anakin Skywalker in 1999 “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Shares positive mental health after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
period interview Lloyd, 35, and his mother, Lisa Lloyd, discussed his recent visit to a Southern California spiritual home with Star Wars: Timeline co-writer Clayton Sandell Progress after 18 months of hospitalization in a health facility.
Lisa, who previously spoke to Sandel for an article in Scripps News, said Lloyd suffered a “full-blown mental breakdown” after stalling on a three-lane road in March 2023 before coming to terms with treat.
According to Sandel, Lloyd is currently living in a new rehabilitation center, where he continues to receive treatment but has free access. During the conversation, Lloyd told Sandel he was feeling “really good.”
“I’m now in a position where I can take continued treatment, therapy and medication,” he said. “Everyone has been very supportive.”
‘Star Wars’ child actor admitted to mental health facility after ‘full-blown mental breakdown’
also to schizophrenia, Lisa previously told Sandel that Lloyd also suffers from a neurological disorder called agnosia, which, according to the National Institutes of Health, “is a neurological disorder in which patients are unaware of their neurological deficits or mental condition.”
Lisa said Lloyd’s condition made him not want to take medication because he didn’t believe he was sick.
In speaking with Sarnell, Lloyd described his medication as “very much a buffer.”
“I don’t have time to feel unstable,” he said.
The former actor went on to say that “good things” came from the time he spent in therapy.
Lloyd told Sandel that he believed hitting “rock bottom” was necessary in order to “honestly participate in treatment, honestly take medication, and honestly accept diagnosis.”
Lisa previously said Lloyd had struggled with mental health since high school. She told Sandel she was optimistic about the progress Sandel had made since receiving his diagnosis and starting treatment.
“Jake is actually better than he was before,” she said. “It’s a big relief to me and his family. We’re all happy that he’s doing so well and he’s worked really hard. We appreciate that.”
Lloyd became famous at the age of 8 when George Lucas cast him to play Anakin in The Phantom Menace. Before appearing in the “Star Wars” movies, Jack and Arnold Schwarzenegger In the 1996 holiday movie Jingle All the Way.
Before retiring from acting in 2001, Lloyd’s last screen role was in the sports drama “Madison,” where he starred opposite Jim Caviezel.
In an interview with Scripps News, Lisa clarified that starring in The Phantom Menace as a child did not push Lloyd to give up his acting career or contribute to his mental health issues.
“This was going to happen no matter what,” Lisa said, adding that his father’s family has a history of schizophrenia.
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She added, “I believe it’s genetic. His psychiatrist also agrees that Jack will develop schizophrenia.”
Lisa also noted that when the Star Wars movies came out received strong opposition After the film’s release in 1999, she kept any negative news from her son.
“I protected him from the backlash. He was just out there riding his bike and playing with his friends. He didn’t know. He didn’t care,” she said. “Everyone took it very seriously. It was quite annoying to me because Jack was a little kid when this came out and he wasn’t really feeling all of this stuff because I wouldn’t let him go online.”
Lloyd told Sandel that he was a fan of the Star Wars franchise and fondly remembered his time filming The Phantom Menace.
He said he recently played the classic “Star Wars” video games “Star Wars: The Old Republic” and “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.”
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“I want to play The Force Unleashed II,” he told me. “I just beat the first one.
Lloyd said he hasn’t seen any Star Wars movies or TV shows recently, but added that he planned to do so on a special day commemorated by fans of the series around the world.
“I’m holding on May 4th With my mom,” he said.
Although Lloyd no longer attends “Star Wars” conventions, he said his experiences with fans were “instantly therapeutic.”
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“For now, it’s still therapeutic,” he added. “It helps people and it’s healthy. I’m not going to shy away from it.”
Lloyd also expressed his gratitude to fans for their continued support Health struggles.
“I really appreciate the time we spent,” he said. “I’m very grateful.”
Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash contributed to this report.