Star Wars Ahsoka’s Natasha Liu Bordizzo on Sabine Wren casting and more
By Meg Dowell
Actor Natasha Liu Bordizzo was first introduced to fans at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022. Her casting as Sabine Wren in the upcoming live-action Ahsoka series has us more excited than ever to see the notorious Mandalorian warrior return to the small screen.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bordizzo discussed how her previous work prepared her for a surprise role in Ahsoka, watching Star Wars Rebels, and the process of being cast as Sabine Wren in live-action — even though she didn’t know she was auditioning for a Star Wars series when she sent in her tape.
“Even if you’re a physical person and physically fit, the act of being in a choreographed and really intense fight is still something to get used to,” she explained when crediting her work on Netflix’s Day Shift helped her prepare for the kind of stunt work required of a Star Wars actor playing someone like Sabine.
But that’s not the only thing that helped her rev up for the iconic role, which originated in the form of an animated character who captured many hearts (and took out many stormtroopers in the galaxy’s darkest times). The actor also watched Rebels — by recommendation, but also because it’s Rebels. She said:
"“It’s almost like a memory book; that’s what I feel Rebels is for me. It’s just this kind of free prep that I never even had to do as an actor because it’s all been done for me. My character’s memory is already recorded. So they encouraged [me to watch it], but obviously, I did watch it because how could I not?”"
Bordizzo also discussed the casting process, and how she sent in a tape like many actors before her have done. When she finally learned it was Jon Favreau behind some of the casting — a fellow actor in addition to his many directing and producing credits — the rapid turnaround from tape to offer made a lot more sense.
“[Favreau] just tried to make it as seamless as possible,” she said, “and I was shocked to say the least.”
Star Wars Ahsoka is set to release on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
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