With the recent 3-D re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,” I’m sure many of us are thinking back to our childhoods as a new generation of “Star Wars” fans get hooked. As a child, I enjoyed all of the cool new things in the prequel, especially Darth Maul. But after a few years, even my generation began to see why adults dismissed “The Phantom Menace,” and it wasn’t just Jar Jar’s fault. Now, I’m just jealous of Anakin getting to work with Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman. But who was the child actor playing Anakin? And whatever happened to the man who played Darth Maul?

Eight-year-old Jake Lloyd sprang to fame following his star turn as Anakin Skywalker. He got out of acting quickly because of the pressure that comes from being a child star. His childhood was less than idyllic, as bullies in school tormented him by making lightsaber sounds whenever he walked around. Now in his early twenties, Lloyd has overcome all that, and he is getting back into the industry, this time as a filmmaker.

Behind the red and black face paint and weird horns of Darth Maul was a man named Ray Park. A martial arts master, he started out as a stuntman before getting the chance to be the coolest Sith master since Vader. Since “The Phantom Menace,” he has had a smattering of parts in science fiction and action films and on TV shows. He had a recurring role on “Heroes,” and more recently, he has played Snake Eyes in the “G. I. Joe” movies.