Dork Side Podcast: We talk to Ashley Eckstein about Ahsoka Tano and more!
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Join us on the Dork Side of the Force Podcast for a wonderful interview with the voice behind Ahsoka Tano — Ashley Eckstein…
I have made no secret of the fact that Ashley Eckstein is a personal hero of mine. Her character, Ahsoka Tano, blazed a trail for women in the Star Wars Universe as the first female Jedi lead in the franchise. It is a true pleasure to watch Ahsoka struggle, grow, and mature throughout The Clone Wars animated series. Ashley did such a fantastic job of drawing audiences in and making them fall in love with the character.
In addition to voicing Ahsoka Tano, Ashley Eckstein is also a founder of the company Her Universe, the focus of which is to create geek fashion designed explicitly for women. Thanks to brands like Her Universe, BoxLunch, and Hot Topic, women are no longer forced to reach for that men’s t-shirt at the store when they want to support their fandom publicly. For so long, geek culture has been a male-dominated field, and it is so refreshing to have people like Ashley Eckstein looking out for us fangirls.
I got the unbelievable honor of conducting a Skype interview with Ashley Eckstein a couple of weeks ago with Dork Side’s Co-Expert, Neil Harrington. Oh my stars, it was a genuine struggle to not fangirl so hard when Ashley’s voice came over the speakers. I think I may have just stared at the computer for a full minute unable to speak.
Luckily my co-interviewer, Neil, was a lot cooler about it than I was so there wasn’t just a full minute of awkward silence. I was kind of hoping I’d be a little smoother, but it’s not every day you get to talk to your hero.
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- The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal becomes No. 1 on IMDb’s Starmeter for 2023
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The topics of conversation ranged from Ashley’s favorite Ahsoka Tano moments in Clone Wars to her accidental creation of the first Southern Star Wars character. She even talked about a touching moment that was planned for Ahsoka Tano but, unfortunately, was never recorded. In addition, Ashley shared with us what it was like working alongside master storytellers like Dave Filoni and Pablo Hidalgo and gave us a little insight on the ever-vexing question of Ahsoka’s fate in the animated TV series: Star Wars Rebels. We even got an insider-scoop about some potential Her Universe gear we can expect in the near future. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more Ahsoka Tano inspired apparel!
It did not surprise me in the slightest that Ashley Eckstein was one of the kindest, loveliest people I have ever spoken with. Despite having just gotten off a red-eye flight, she was so cheerful and pleasant throughout the whole interview, and every answer to every question was so thoughtfully and professionally articulated.
You can find our Podcast on Blog Talk Radio. And, if you’re having trouble listening through Blog Talk or Brightcove, here’s the direct link:
Dork Side Podcast: We Interview Ashley Eckstein
Next: 25 Star Wars TV shows we really want to see
Take some time to listen to our almost hour-long conversation with Ashley Eckstein! Also, make sure to go support the wonderful work she’s doing by following her on social media and getting your hands on some of the incredible HerUniverse merchandise!