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Tiny Darth Vader wins fans

By the CNN Wire Staff
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'Mini Darth Vader' talks to CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • A 6-year-old boy is winning fans after being revealed as the face behind the Darth Vader mask
  • Max Page appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for Volkswagen
  • Max "channeled" Vader for the spot, but still hasn't seen the movies, his mom says

(CNN) -- Never underestimate the power of the dark side.

Scratch that.

Let's go with never underestimate the power of a cute blond kid cloaked in the robes of Mr. Dark Side himself, Darth Vader.

Despite having already been on television since 2009, 6-year-old Max Page is winning more fans than he likely ever could have imagined after his appearance in a Super Bowl advertisement for Volkswagen.

"My dad said I'm the hit star!" Max said Tuesday during an appearance on CNN's "American Morning."

You've doubtless seen the commercial by now. As many as 110 million Americans who watched the Super Bowl on Sunday saw it, and it's been viewed more than 20 million times on YouTube.

It depicts a young boy dressed in Vader's black robe and helmet feverishly trying to get something -- anything -- to obey "The Force" and bend to his will. He tries the washer and dryer. A doll. A sandwich. Nothing happens. Not even the family dog is moved.

But when he tries to wield "The Force" on his dad's new car, the engine roars to life -- with a little help from dad and his keyfob, of course.

The face behind the Force

You can almost see Max's eyes, wide-open with amazement, as he holds his arms out and turns to his unseen parents as if to say, "Did you see that?"

"Lance Acord, the director, said what he brought to the spot when they were filming was more of an authenticity because he wasn't mimicking Darth Vader," Max's mom, Jennifer said. "He was just challenging Darth Vader and doing what he thought Darth Vader looked like."

In fact, Star Wars fans might note Max bears some resemblance to the actor who played young Anakin Skywalker, who later turned into Darth. And fans are also comparing him a young Mark Hamill, who played Vader's son, Luke Skywalker.

Not that any of it means much to Max. He still hasn't seen any of the movies.

"He's a little scared, still," his mother said.

Max's story has another twist. He has a congenital heart defect and wears a pacemaker. But he leads a normal life, his mother said.

"Once these kids get mended they can go and live full lives and that's been a huge inspiration for others already," she said.

Max spent most of his appearance on CNN Tuesday fidgeting with a boxed set of all the Star Wars movies -- a gift from co-host Kiran Chetry.

He did take a moment to turn to the camera, raise his eyebrows and wave.

"Hello!" he said to the camera, as oblivious as any 6-year-old to the grown ups talking around him.