‘Star Wars: Phantom Menace’ Child Star Jake Lloyd Shares Schizophrenia Health Update: ‘Pretty Good’

Jake Lloyd, best known for playing a young Anakin Skywalker in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace, offered an update on his schizophrenia diagnosis.

In an interview with Clayton Sandell published via Substack on Wednesday, January 1, Lloyd, 35, shared that he was “pretty good, considering these 20 years of time that have come to an end.” He revealed in late 2024 that he was currently living in a rehabilitation center after completing an 18-month stay at an inpatient mental health facility in Southern California.

Lloyd shared that, along with schizophrenia, he had been diagnosed with anosognosia. According to the Cleveland Clinic, anosognosia is a neurological condition that causes someone’s brain not to recognize their health conditions, often causing patients to avoid or resist treatment.

“I can now accept taking on continued treatment, and therapy, and my meds. Everyone’s been very supportive,” Lloyd shared, describing how he feels while taking his medication. “I don’t have the time for feeling volatile. It is very much a cushion.”

Lloyd was only 8 years old when he was cast as a young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace. According to the former actor, his experience with Star Wars has been positive overall.

“The experience I’ve had with the fans is immediately therapeutic,” he shared. “Right now, it’s still therapeutic. It’s helpful for people and healthy. It isn’t something I’d shy away from.”

He added that he still has fond memories of his time making the Phantom Menace. “I really do appreciate the time that’s been taken on us,” Jake said. “I’m very appreciative.”

Jake’s mother, Lisa Lloyd, told Sandell, “Jake’s actually getting so much better than he was. 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.”

Jake was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2016 after a 10-month stint in jail. Early in 2024, Lisa had opened up about Jake’s mental health struggles and revealed that he had been admitted to a mental health rehabilitation facility in March 2023 after suffering a psychotic break.

“Jake started having some trouble in high school,” Lisa explained in March 2024, recalling the first time she noticed a change in Jake’s personality. “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.”

After he was admitted to the inpatient program, Lisa shared that Jake was “doing much better than [she] expected.” She shared, “He is relating to people better and becoming a little bit more social, which is really nice. It’s kind of like having more of the old Jake back, because he has always been incredibly social until he became schizophrenic.”

Speaking with Sandell in 2024, Jake shared that he loves all of the new Star Wars media that has been released in recent years, including the new Star Wars: Ahsoka series on Disney+.