The kid that stole our hearts as a pint-sized Darth Vader in a 2011 Super Bowl commercial for Volkswagen is undergoing open-heart surgery today (Thursday).

Seven-year-old actor Max Page is turning to his alter-ego for inspiration, saying he'll use the force to get through the surgery at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. The surgery is to correct a congenital heart defect that was first detected when he was just three months old.