Natasha Liu Bordizzo on How Playing Sabine Wren in ‘Ahsoka’ Is Her Dream Job
Natasha Liu Bordizzo was reported to have been cast as Sabine Wren in the Ahsoka live-action series back in November 2021, though Lucasfilm officially didn’t confirm the news until Star Wars Celebration this past May. The actress was brought on stage and introduced to audiences as the live-action version of the beloved character that Tiya Sircar voiced in Star Wars: Rebels.
Liu Bordizzo, who is out promoting her new Netflix film Day Shift with Jamie Foxx, did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter where she opened up about joining the cast of Ahsoka for the first time. As she explained, she got the part while shooting Day Shift, after submitting a couple of tapes where she recreated scenes from older movies:
“I had a scene from Top Gun to audition with, and I played this male pilot. And then there was another scene. I can’t remember what it was from, but it obviously wasn’t a scene from the show. So 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. I’ve been through absolute circuses with casting where it’s like four callbacks, two director zooms and then it’s just complete silence. You never hear from anyone again. So I sent off the tape, didn’t hear anything for a few weeks and thought, ‘Yep, that’s another one.’
And it was with [casting director] Sarah Finn, so I assumed it was something to do with Marvel because she usually does Marvel. But lo and behold, I was on set working with Jamie and I got like 16 missed calls from my team. I was like, ‘Oh God, what’s happened?’ So I called them and they were like, ‘We are just as flabbergasted as you are probably about to be, because this has come out of left field. You have an offer.’
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.”
She went on to explain how she was told that watching Star Wars: Rebels was a recommended watch, but not a necessary one. This will surely be great news to Star Wars fans that are interested in Ahsoka but never sat down to watch the animated shows. Natasha said:
“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.”
She was then asked about the character features from Sabine that most jumped out to her from Rebels. When responding, the actress couldn’t help but also add how making Star Wars has actually changed the way she approaches day-to-day issues:
“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.”
One of Sabine’s most recognizable beats is her passion for art and painting. The character changes her look constantly throughout Rebels and is continuously upgrading the paint job on her armor. This becomes especially interesting when she encounters Thrawn, who also shares a similar passion for art. The actress revealed that she did not take any lessons on spray painting, because neither would Sabine:
“Oh man, I was tempted to take a full course on it. I’ve experimented in my garage with a few bottles, but I held back on actually taking the course because I feel like that’s not something Sabine would do anyway. She would just experiment. But no, I don’t have a history with it. I definitely draw. I definitely paint with regular paint, but spray painting is a whole new thing to look into, for sure.”
As she explained, Natasha is having the time of her life shooting Ahsoka right now:
“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.”
She added that her introduction at Celebration came as a surprise to her as well, as she expected to be revealed when the show aired:
“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.”
Sabine Wren is expected to play a major role in the Ahsoka series, which has been shooting since early May (it probably has roughly over a month left of production). As hinted at Star Wars Celebration by Dave Filoni, the series could see the live-action reunion of all members of the Ghost crew, except one. Hera’s back was seemingly seen in the teaser trailer that debuted at Celebration, Sabine is confirmed, Chopper was brought out on stage as a wink to the camera, and Ezra is clearly going to show up, as the plot is expected to revolve around him, finally tying up the loose end of Rebels season 4. The only character we know nothing about is Zeb, though some are speculating that we may already know the actor who’s playing him.
Ahsoka will likely start streaming on Disney Plus in the summer of 2023.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as movies from Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
