On Saturday, December 2nd, I got to witness the Ahsoka Series Q&A panel at Los Angeles Comic Con. The panel was moderated by Eric Goldman who interviewed Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren), Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), and Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth). They were such a delight and shared a lot of their experiences being on set, insight into their characters, and fun random facts. Of course, I took a few notes and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!
Diana shared that she had no idea she'd be in the Ahsoka series. She reminisced about how she got the news at Disneyland and said that she screamed and cried! I imagine that must've been such a magical moment for her. I wonder who else got to witness her excitement over the news?
"The bond of the baddies" was what Diana said the bad individuals in the Ahsoka series called each other on set because they were very close. I think that I imagined that they were from the behind-the-scenes photos that we've seen, they all seemed like such good friends!
She shared that she made the "Whoosh!" noise when using the Talzin Blade. Who wouldn't, right?
Diana knew that she was a Nighsister when she was filming The Mandalorian! This blew my mind, especially considering how much secrecy there is surrounding anything that Dave Filoni has his hand in. That must've been such a hard secret to keep!
Diana requested that the Talzin blade would be used against her in her death. I think it's cool that she had a say in, what I assume, is the end to her story. You never know these days!
Eman didn't watch all of Rebels until after he finished filming because he didn't want to get too caught up in the younger version of Ezra. He knew he was doing something right though because he'd do something on set and Dave Filoni himself would respond with, "Oh, that's so Ezra!". I was surprised to hear that he didn't watch Rebels completely, but I think it just goes to show you how perfectly he stepped into the role of the character.
Eman shared that he didn't make sounds while wielding his lightsaber but during his first take with his blaster, he was making the blaster sound ("Pew, Pew!") and they had to do another take. Typical Ezra! Though let's be honest, most of us would probably do this!
Eman was asked how comfortable his costume was by a fan in the audience to which he replied, "My costume was like a bathrobe!" Those who are cosplaying and bounding this particular outfit are going to be ecstatic, especially when going to conventions!
Eman said that his favorite Star Wars creature has to be the Noti. I think most fans could probably guess this based on the time he spent with those little guys!
Eman didn't keep anything from the set because he didn't know it was a thing. Another Ezra moment for the books!
Ivanna explained that Shin has beef with Morgan. "She (Morgan) is unfamiliar for Shin, and she doesn't quite know how to understand her. Whatever stories Baylan has shared with Shin, is what she knows about them (the Nightsisters)". When I was watching Ahsoka, I got the sense from Shin that she didn't trust new people. She had this sort of hesitancy around them. It was neat to get confirmation of my interpretation of her body language.
She discussed Shin and Baylan's goodbye, "She's learning heartbreak maybe for the first time of being alone because Baylan is her family. It's the only admiration and love she's ever known." Throughout the panel, Ivanna shared very deep insight about Shin which, for me, added so many layers to her character. I think this particular moment just made everyone sad!
Regarding her character's future, "I will follow the great Dave Filoni." It was evident how much she admired Dave.
Ivanna shared that she "kept so many things" from the series including Shin's first skirt, a leaf from the forest, a rock from another set, etc. She also shared that Rosario Dawson (Ahshoka Tano) took a leaf from the set. The skirt is obviously cool, but I also loved hearing about the more natural items like the leaf and rock. I wonder if they're tucked away in a drawer somewhere or on display?
Ivanna explained that her character struggles with her fighting skills near the end because she becomes conflicted. This took me back to The Force Awakens after Kylo Ren killed his father and was shot by Chewie. This combined with everything else he was dealing with really affected the way that he fought against Rey. If you're not at your best both physically and mentally, it's going to affect you in all aspects of your life.
Natalie watched all of Star Wars Rebels in the months leading up to the Ahsoka series. While watching, I noticed that her attitude and mannerisms were very similar to Sabine's! I love it when actors take such care in becoming a character that fans already know. The devotion is so appreciated!
Natalie shared that she started from scratch with lightsaber training even though she had experience with martial arts. She was a natural!
On Eman's first day on set, Natalie asked him if Dave Filoni went straight into an hour of Star Wars with him, which of course, he replied that he did. The audience got a kick out of this story. Everyone knows that Dave Filoni is a walking Star Wars dictionary!
She discussed Sabine and Ahsoka's relationship, "Above all, she trusts her Master. She trusts Ahsoka. If Ahsoka says that's where they're supposed to be (referring to the end of the series, on the planet Peridea), then she trusts that." This touched my heart. It was beautiful to see how these two worked through the obstacles they were facing and became the friends that they used to be by the end of the story. If there is a Season 2, I'm sure we'll see their Master and Apprentice relationship flourish.
On if Natalie took anything from the set, "I took a few things". Everyone gasped when she shared that she may have been told she could keep Sabine's leather jacket. She absolutely struck gold! That jacket was iconic as soon as it was revealed.
I hope you enjoyed reading through these highlights! What stood out to you the most? Let me know by commenting below or getting in touch with me on Instagram or Twitter.
None of your photos are loading correctly as of 1/12/24. I've tried switching browsers so I think it's on your server's end.
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