Jake Lloyd, the child actor from ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace’, has long since retired from acting. For many years, he has been quietly battling schizophrenia.
In an interview published by Clayton Sandell (co-writer of Star Wars: Timelines) at the beginning of 2025, Jake Lloyd shared his journey fighting schizophrenia over the years. Previously, Lisa Lloyd, the former child star’s mother, revealed that her son had been consumed by mental health struggles for the past 15 years.
A few weeks ago, Jake completed 18 months of treatment at an inpatient mental health facility in Southern California. As the new year began, the once-famous child star is at a new rehabilitation center where he is receiving intensive treatment and is free to move around as he pleases.
Besides schizophrenia, Jake Lloyd’s mother previously revealed that the former actor suffers from anosognosia (a neurological disorder that causes patients to be unaware of their neurological or mental condition). She said Jake’s condition made him reluctant to take medication because he didn’t believe he was sick. However, recently, he has gradually overcome this and become more aware of his health. “Now I can accept continuing treatment, therapies, and medication. Everyone is very supportive,” the Jingle All the Way star shared.
Clayton Sandell revealed that during their conversation, Jake Lloyd seemed coherent and eager to speak, but sometimes mixed up words or went off-topic. His mother revealed that this happened frequently. The 35-year-old former actor said that good things have happened to him during his treatment. He realized that hitting “bottom of the abyss” was necessary to honestly participate in treatment, take medication, and honestly live with his diagnosis.
Now, at nearly 40, Jake Lloyd remains a Star Wars fan, cherishing fond memories of filming The Phantom Menace and interacting with other fans. The former child star says it’s healthy, helpful in his treatment, and he appreciates the love and support he receives from many fans.
Lisa Lloyd updated her son’s condition: “Jake is actually much better than before. This is a huge relief for me and the rest of the family. We are all so happy that Jake is still healthy and really working hard. We appreciate that.” She added that recently, they have been going to the movies together, and the treatment has helped Jake focus throughout the two-hour film.
In a conversation last year, Jake Lloyd’s mother dismissed speculation that the negative critical and audience reaction to The Phantom Menace was the reason the child star gave up acting and suffered from mental health problems. She revealed that Jake’s paternal family has a history of schizophrenia.
Jake Lloyd was born in 1989 in the United States. He began acting in 1996 and quickly rose to child stardom thanks to his roles in films such as Unhook the Stars, Jingle All the Way, Apollo 11, and Madison. Jake Lloyd had a major turning point in his acting career when director George Lucas chose him to play Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, released in 1999. After the film, the actor participated in a few other projects before putting his acting career on hold in the early 2000s.
