ROAD TO RECOVERY

‘Star Wars’ Child Star Jake Lloyd Gives Update on Schizophrenia Battle

Jake Lloyd played a young Anakin Skywalker in “Star Wars: Episode I” before his career was derailed by mental illness.

Former child star Jake Lloyd, 35, said he is doing “pretty good” after completing an 18-month stay in an inpatient facility for mental health wellness, wrote author Clayton Sandell in a Substack Wednesday. Sandell interviewed Lloyd and his mother in an update for fans after he previously wrote about Lloyd’s mental health struggles in a news story. “I can now accept taking on continued treatment, and therapy, and my meds. Everyone’s been very supportive,” Lloyd told Sandell. Lloyd was 8 years old when he landed the role of a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. With a push from the George Lucas-directed film, Lloyd seemed destined for superstardom, appearing in episodes of the TV series ER and the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger-led film Jingle All the Way. However, a series of legal and mental health struggles derailed his career. Sandell’s mother revealed this year that he suffers from “anosognosia,” a common condition for those with schizophrenia. In May 2023, Lloyd said he had a complete “psychotic break,” was arrested, and hit “rock bottom.” However, he told Sandell that it was necessary to “honestly take part in treatment, honestly take your meds, and honestly live with your diagnosis.”