Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace child actor Jake Lloyd opened up about his mental health struggles and finally accepting his schizophrenia diagnosis.
The actor spoke with author Clayton Sandell, who co-wrote Star Wars Timelines, and his mother, Lisa Lloyd. Their conversation comes on the heels of Lloyd’s 18-month stint in a mental health rehabilitation facility after a full-blown “psychotic break” in March 2023, during which he turned his car off in the middle of a three-lane road in Southern California.
“Jake started having some trouble in high school,” Lisa Lloyd told Scripps News in March 2024. “He started talking about ‘realities.’ He didn’t know if he was in this reality or a different reality. I didn’t really know exactly what to say to that.”
The Anakin Skywalker actor finished his stint at the facility a few weeks ago, according to Sandell, and is now living at a new rehab center where he still receives treatment but can come and go as he pleases.
For years, Lloyd struggled to even acknowledge his schizophrenia diagnosis, his mother explained, due to anosognosia. The neurological condition is when someone’s brain “can’t recognize one or more other health conditions you have,” according to Cleveland Clinic. Now that he has overcome that condition, he has been able to better understand why taking his medication is important.
When the author asked how he was feeling, he responded, “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.”
While his mom noted it hasn’t been 20 years since he’s been diagnosed, she did admit it may have felt like it at times. The Star Wars actor was coherent when he spoke and eager to talk, but Sandell did point out that he confused some words and went on tangents, which his mom explained happens when he’s tired.
When explaining how he feels when he takes his medication, Lloyd said, “I don’t have the time for feeling volatile. It is very much a cushion.”
Looking at his life now at 35, the former actor can share that “good things” have come from his treatment after he hit what he called “rock bottom.” He added that it was something that needed to happen so that he could learn to “honestly take part in treatment, honestly take your meds and honestly live with your diagnosis.”
Lloyd was cast as Anakin when he was 8 years old. The film was released in 1999, and his portrayal wasn’t always well-received — and neither was Phantom Menace.
For years, people speculated that the backlash contributed to his mental health struggles, but his mom told Scripp News last year that wasn’t the case, sharing that his father’s side of the family had a history of schizophrenia. On the contrary, she noted, Lloyd is actually a fan of Star Wars and called his experiences with fans “immediately therapeutic.”
