Well Robin Gurland is no Fred Roos. You know the guy who cast the andy griffith show, american graffiti and star wars. That guy knew talent, supposedly he discovered ron howard. He also fought for harrison to be han solo in star wars when lucas wanted another actor. Lucas felt the same way during pre production of raiders of the lost ark he wanted that magnum pi person tom selleck.
To be fair to Robin Gurland she as far as i know casted the young indiana jones chronicles and the guest stars and casting on that were nothing short of amazing in my honest opinion. Sean Patrick flannery was a brilliant choice for a young indiana jones even though the show really was not really anything like the movie trilogy.
If you have seen Hayden's screen test he is better there than he was in the movies, which says to me that George Lucas cannot direct actors and Hayden is not the best talent out there.
I think that natalie was a big enough star that she was cast in episode 1 without testing. The same can be said for Liam Neeson, Ewan Mcgregor and Samuel Jackson, and of course Christopher Lee in episodes II and III.
The casting was as far as i know Anakin in episode 1: Jake Lloyd gave the best screen test
And episode II Hayden. Since we have not seen the other candidates screentests if they exist. Though Hayden was chosen because he could do that sullen James Dean thing lucas wanted supposedly.
Seriously what is hollywoods obsession with james dean type heros. They did the same thing with that jj star trek and chris pine was obnoxious and annoying as James Kirk.
Hayden was looked at because George Lucas goddaughter Sophia Coppola said he was an amazing young actor, and who knows how much her influence had on him being casted. If there is not a person alive who does not know who she is, she is Francis Ford Coppola's daughter, the legendary director of the GodFather.
The same person who everyone says ruined the Godfather 3,lol. Okay so she may be a terrible actor, but what about as a director? I thought Lost in Translation was decent but overrated.