Eman Esfandi talks about meeting "towering presence" Hayden Christensen

Eman Esfandi didn't film any scenes with Hayden Christensen for Ahsoka, but the actor told The Hollywood Reporter all about his first meeting with The Chosen One. Eman admits that he hadn't seen the prequels before filming Ahsoka but caught Christensen during stunt rehearsals at Manhattan Beach Studios in Los Angeles. Esfandi describes the "statuesque" and "massive" Hayden practicing difficult choreography for the series.

" It was an explosion of choreography that was a minute long, and when I turned to look around, there was this massive, statuesque man in a gray shirt. I didn’t recognize him off the top of my head, but he was just pummeling one of the stunt doubles that I know. "

- Eman Esfandi

Esfandi admits he didn't recognize Hayden immediately since he hadn't grown up a Star Wars fan. Still, he praises Hayden's lightsaber skills and says he wanted to look just as sharp as Hayden in his fight scenes. According to Eman, Hayden is a tank and a "towering presence," and he took inspiration from seeing Hayden's skills in person.

"So I was just like, “Oh my God, this guy is so good.” "

- Eman Esfandi on Hayden Christensen.

Live-action Ezra fans should feel good about what this means for Eman's performance as Ezra Bridger in the future. Hayden Christensen is the gold standard for lightsaber dueling in Star Wars, and there's surely much more of that for Eman in the future. He did a pretty impressive job in Ahsoka, and will undoubtedly improve by the time he reprises his role in Season 2 of Ahsoka, or the Mandoverse film.

As for Hayden Christensen, the actor continues to impress everyone in his return to Star Wars. From getting called a "towering presence" and "statuesque" by Eman, to being praised by fans for his performance in Episode 5, "Shadow Warrior", it's been a memorable return for Hayden. Many are eager to know what projects he'll hop onto next since he recently signed on with new representation in Hollywood.

In the meantime, Eman Esfandi believes he'll be a part of Ahsoka and the Mandoverse film, but beyond that, he's unsure of what the future holds for Ezra Bridger. "But for these next installments, I will have a very strong presence in those if they happen."

You can read the rest of Eman's interview with The Hollywood Reporter, including his thoughts on how he believes Ezra will react to the truth about how Sabine got to Peridea.

Ahsoka is streaming on Disney+.