Writing over at his freshly-minted Substack, writer and friend Clayton Sandell caught up with the man behind young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace Jake Lloyd, reuniting after their conversation just under a year ago which gave readers an insight into the struggles Jake has endured over the past few years. Speaking just before Christmas 2024, Jake explains the steady and encouraging progress he has made in his journey.
Today, Jake remains a Star Wars fan with fond memories of making The Phantom Menace and, he says, interacting with other fans. (At this point, I take a moment to tell him about the hugely-positive response I received to the first article, which I believe demonstrates that there’s a lot of love out there for Jake Lloyd.)
“The experience I’ve had with the fans is immediately therapeutic,” he says. “Right now, it’s still therapeutic. It’s helpful for people and healthy. It isn’t something I’d shy away from.”
Jake says he wants fans to know he feels their support.
“I really do appreciate the time that’s been taken on us,” says Jake. “I’m very appreciative.”
Jake has—for now—stopped making public appearances at fan conventions like he used to, but says Star Wars is still a happy place for him. He recently watched the Star Wars: Ahsoka series, and lately has been “intensely” playing a few classic Star Wars video games, including Star Wars: The Old Republic and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
“I want to play The Force Unleashed II,” he tells me. “I just beat the first one.”
Lisa says she is grateful that Jake’s new focus is helping determining his current reality. (If I may blatantly echo a Qui-Gon Jinn line from The Phantom Menace that also pops up in the new Skeleton Crew series.)
“Jake’s actually getting so much better than he was,” Lisa says. “It’s a big relief for me and the rest of his family. We’re all just thrilled that he’s doing as well as he is, and that he’s working really hard at it. We appreciate that.”
Best wishes to Jake, and be sure to check out and subscribe to Clayton’s Substack for more engaging reads.
