It sounds more like “Smokey and the Bandit,” but a former child actor who played young Anakin Skywalker in a “Star Wars” movie was in jail and facing charges Sunday after allegedly leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase in Walterboro, South Carolina.
Jake Lloyd, 26, was charged with reckless driving after hitting speeds over 100 miles an hour before crashing into trees off Interstate 95, Colleton County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kyle Strickland told the Associated Press.
The incident involving the former actor, who appeared as Skywalker in the 1999 movie “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” occurred Wednesday but only came to light over the weekend. That can probably be attributed to questions regarding his identity.
When arrested following the chase, he gave his name as Jake Broadbent, Strickland said. Deputies eventually determined his real identity through a former talent agent, and by checking his birth date and Fort Collin, Colo., birthplace, both of which match the actor’s bio listed on IMDB.
Lloyd hasn’t acted since 2005, following a series of gigs as Anakin Skywalker’s voice in “Star Wars” video games.