Discussing her role in Netflix vampire thriller Day Shift, Natasha Liu Bordizzo was always going to be asked about her new role as Sabine Wren in 2023’s Ahsoka series on Disney Plus, and Variety were the ones cautiously asking those questions.
V: You joined the Star Wars galaxy as Sabine Wren, alongside Rosario Dawson on Ahsoka. Is it true that the casting happened so quickly that you were a bit skeptical?
NLB: Absolutely. To this day, it’s one of the strangest and most wonderful casting experiences of my life. I actually booked it while I was shooting Day Shift, and the week I booked it, I was a little bit unwell. I didn’t have COVID or anything, but I was a bit under the weather.
V: Wow.
NLB: And then they were like, “Tell us, do you like the Mandalorian?” And I was like, “Yeah, why?” (Laughs.) Months later, when I met with Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, Jon explained his thoughts behind casting and how, as an actor himself, he understands the stress of casting. We’re often asked to jump through hoops when the creative people behind the project probably already know whether or not they really want you for the role. So he just tried to make it as seamless as possible, and I was shocked to say the least.
V: And even though you didn’t know it was a Star Wars thing, you still happened to do a Han Solo-type performance, right?
NLB: Totally. I had a scene where some of the lines were like, “Hey lady, I’ve got all these problems, so stop bothering me. All the work is moving south for the winter.” So this lady was trying to pay my character to help her or something, and my friend and I were like, “It’s almost like a young Han Solo kind of feeling.” So that was just complete chance, and I still think of his role often, energetically, as I’m doing [Ahsoka] now. It’s just such a great energy and very inspiring.
V: Once you got cast, did they suggest that you binge Star Wars Rebels, or did they not want you to recreate anything?
NLB: I think it was somewhere in between. It was like, “It’s obviously great if you watch the show,” but the live-action version is always going to be a completely new and fresh thing that has to find its own truth and not try to replicate what has been created, as much as we honor it and as much as we use it. 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 it, but obviously, I did watch it because how could I not? So it’s somewhere in between.
V: As far as the animated character, what qualities of hers did you respond to most?
Her unbelievable bravery, spirit and swag, amidst all the challenge and heartache of everything going on. I think of their crew so often in my life now because I’m like a member of a cult now. (Laughs.) I’m a full fan every single day I go to work. Everyone’s like, “We’re all just fans going to work, making Star Wars.” It sounds so over the top for me to say what I’m about to say, but I truly mean it. In my life, when I’m facing a challenge, I just think about the general spirit of the franchise and taking on challenges with a bit of positivity, a bit of humor and then being able to move on. So it’s just been something that I have learned a lot from, as I’m playing the role itself.
V: At Star Wars Celebration, you’d only been on the job for like ten minutes, so now that you’re a few months into it, are you enjoying your time with Rosario and whomever else we probably can’t mention?
NLB: (Laughs.) It’s the best job I’ve ever done for so many reasons. I could not be happier, honestly. It’s so fulfilling on so many levels, and it’s only gotten better as we’ve gotten into it. So I’m very excited about what we’re creating.
V: Was it bizarre to be introduced as the new kid at Celebration, especially when you had only just started?
NLB: (Laughs.) I thought they weren’t going to even mention me until the show was actually out, so the whole thing was a complete surprise. It could not have been a more magnificent introduction into that world and that fan base. I’m so lucky that Celebration was how I got introduced and that it happened to be happening in L.A. while we were shooting. It’s just one of those very serendipitous moments.
- Hardcover Book
- Córdova, Zoraida (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 368 Pages - 11/22/2022 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
