Ashley Eckstein, the original voice actor for the popular Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano, recently reflected on her character's long journey to live-action. Eckstein began her career with minor roles on television in such series as The Rerun Show, That's So Raven, and Blue Collar TV. She has since gained prominence within the Star Wars community as the long-time voice of the Togruta former Jedi, Ahsoka. Although many fans first saw Ahsoka portrayed by actor Rosario Dawson in The Mandalorian season 2, Eckstein voiced the character in the 2008 animated Star Wars spin-off film Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
The animated film served as an entry point to The Clone Wars television show that followed the exploits of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker as they fought the Separatists during the Clone Wars. Initially, Ahsoka's introduction received a mixed-to-negative response from fans calling her annoying and pandering to younger audiences. However, as the series progressed, Ahsoka's arc was treated with care, and she became one of the most nuanced characters in the entire show. Many predicted that she would die at the end of the series due to her absence in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, but she has since lived on in other franchise media, including the live-action television series The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and her forthcoming show, Ahsoka.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Eckstein has looked back on Ahsoka's journey from her animated beginnings to her upcoming live-action series and reflected on what the character has meant to her and Star Wars. When asked about how she felt when she learned that her character would be getting a new live-action series, Eckstein stated that she was excited. Read what the actor told Screen Rant below.
"I think it's absolutely incredible. I was honored to help originate this character back in 2008. She was this snippy little character that, to be honest, a lot of fans did not like. She was met with mixed reviews."
"To be here in 2022, celebrating this character - and her legacy continues, as she's getting her own series - it's such an exciting time to be an Ahsoka Tano fan. It's absolutely surreal. I'm just honored to be a small part of a giant team of people that it takes to bring this character to life. It's just surreal, and it's an exciting time to be an Ahsoka fan."
Eckstein understands that she was only a part of a much larger group of people that helped realize Ahsoka, and she honors the time that she has spent voicing the role for film, television, and video games. Dawson has also recognized Eckstein's achievements throughout the years and offered praise to the voice actor for giving her a wealth of material to pull from for her performances on the Disney+ shows. Although Eckstein has developed a significant legacy within the world of Star Wars, she still wishes to one day make that jump to live-action for a role in a future project.
Eckstein's legacy within the Star Wars community has already been cemented regardless of who portrays her character in a live-action form. The actor appears to have cherished her time voicing Ahsoka and credits all who helped to bring the young Jedi to life, including Dawson, who will lead the character's solo outing soon. Although Eckstein is not reportedly involved in the upcoming Ahsoka series, she will forever be associated with one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.
