There was a time when it sounded like Star Wars Rebels was getting a sequel in the form of another animated TV series, but that's since become the live-action Ahsoka. While the focus of that show will obviously be Ahsoka Tano, various characters from the Disney XD series will appear, including Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and Sabine Wren.
The latter will be played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and she recently reflected on her unique audition process while talking to The Hollywood Reporter.
"I had a scene from Top Gun to audition with, and I played this male pilot," she recalls. "I just knew it was a very elusive Jon Favreau-related project, and at this point, like most actors, for my own mental health, I sent off the tape and didn’t think about it again."
"And it was with [casting director] Sarah Finn, so I assumed it was something to do with Marvel because she usually does Marvel." Bordizzo got the call that she had been cast while working with Jamie Foxx on Netflix's Day Shift, and it was then she started delving into the character's history. Obviously, that involved watching all of Star Wars Rebels.
Asked how important that series was, the actor says, "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," Bordizzo continues. "So they encouraged it, but obviously, I did watch it because how could I not? So it’s somewhere in between."
As for what she loves about the character, she added: "Her unbelievable bravery, spirit and swag, amidst all the challenge and heartache of everything going on."
We're definitely excited to see what role Sabine plays in the series, and it appears she'll be key in the hunt for the missing Ezra Bridger. Given her Mandalorian background and ties to the Darksaber, she could also be a character who factors into The Mandalorian and other Star Wars TV shows set during this post-Return of the Jedi time period.