Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are just a few of the actors who appear in the latest Star Wars show
After nearly three years of anticipation, the newest Star Wars series, Ahsoka, is coming to Disney+.
The Rosario Dawson-led show, which was first announced in December 2020, follows the popular character Ahsoka Tano as she searches for Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), who was lost in space during a previous battle. Actor Hayden Christensen also makes his return as Anakin Skywalker, despite the series being set five years after the events of 1983’s Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, which saw the death of Darth Vader.
Ray Stevenson will also appear posthumously in the series as Baylan Skoll. The actor, who died at age 58 in May, previously told Yahoo! Entertainment of his character, “I think the exciting thing is to see and feel where this journey goes and how it’s impacting his journey. Basically, if you’re in his way, he’ll politely request you get out of it, and if you don’t, you’ll be removed.”
Dawson has expressed her enthusiasm for the role and the series in general, telling the audience at a Star Wars convention in 2022, “It’s just been a thrill and an honor to bring this character to life, and to feel the energy of everyone wanting to see her come to life. And it’s been exciting to experience and to see this story continue.”
From returning characters to new faces, here’s everything to know about the cast of the Disney+ series Ahsoka.
Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka TTano
Dawson, 44, plays titular character Ahsoka Tano. While the character Ahsoka was first introduced in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Dawson made her debut in the role in 2020 during an episode of The Mandalorian.
Taking the character from animation to live action was a challenge that Dawson and Mandalorian creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni took seriously. The actress later told Entertainment Weekly that despite the challenges of bringing the colorful character to life, she was enthralled with what she saw reflected back at her. The actress said of her excitement: “I was literally doing jumping jacks. I remember seeing Jon and Dave’s faces, like, ‘Ooh, did we make the right decision? She’s a little bit … hyped fangirl.’ ”
Prior to playing Ahsoka, Dawson was known for her performances in Rent (2005) and Hulu’s Dopesick. In July 2023, Dawson also starred in Haunted Mansion. Her upcoming projects include Ghosts of Ruin and Speed of Light.
In her personal life, Dawson is a mother to daughter Isabella, whom she adopted at age 11. The actress was also previously in a two-year relationship with Sen. Cory Booker, though the two announced their breakup in early 2022. Later that year, she was linked to Nnamdi Okafor.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Hayden Christensen, 42, is no stranger to the Stars Wars universe. He first played Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002), though his character was originally met with pushback from some fans. Ahead of Revenge of the Sith (2005), Star Wars creator and director George Lucas told Vanity Fair: “Poor Hayden. His performance is great. They just don’t like the character.”
In 2022, however, Christensen told The Guardian he was thrilled to return to the franchise and reprise the role in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
“It just seemed like a really exciting opportunity. It was a no-brainer. In a heartbeat. When I got the call, I was instantly elated,” he said. “I was just so excited to get to come back after all these years.”
Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker Takes Center Stage in New ‘Ahsoka’ Teaser Trailer
Christensen has remained tight-lipped about his character in the new series and it is unclear how Anakin will appear in the show as Ahsoka is set five years after Darth Vader dies.
The actor has also worked to keep his personal life out of the public eye. He shares daughter Briar Rose with actress Rachel Bilson, whom he met while filming the 2008 movie Jumper. The former couple got engaged in 2008 before breaking up in 2010. They reunited three months later and welcomed Briar in 2014, before ultimately calling it quits in 2017.
Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn
Lars Mikkelsen, 59, is no stranger to Star Wars or to Grand Admiral Thrawn, having voiced the character in Star Wars Rebels. Ahsoka will continue the storyline from Rebels, with Ahsoka pursuing the villainous Imperial military leader.
Speaking on Entertainment Weekly’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Mikkelsen recalled his reaction to being formally announced in the part. “It was a very emotional moment that I didn’t expect to have. But I think there’s a lot of love to be taken care of from the audience. And I felt enormous gratitude. It was amazing. Never tried anything like that,” he said. “I had a hard time actually keeping my tears back. I was really tearing up. I didn’t expect that.”
The Danish actor is best known for his roles in series like Sherlock, House of Cards and The Witcher as well as films like Headhunter and Winter Brothers.
Mikkelsen has been married to his wife Anette Støvelbæk since 1989 and the pair have two children. His brother, Mads Mikkelsen, starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
David Tennant as Professor Huyang
Star Wars would be nothing without its droids, and David Tennant, 52, has previous experience playing lightsaber expert Huyang in The Clone Wars. In 2013, Filoni told IGN that Tennant’s role on the BBC series Doctor Who played a big part in his introduction to the Star Wars universe.
“My wife had been having me watch Doctor Who, relentlessly, when we were pitching,” Filoni said. “I just thought David Tennant’s performance was just fantastic. I loved that whole arc with him and Rose, and I just thought that was great. I’d heard reports that he was a pretty big Star Wars fan himself, and so I thought, ‘Well, this will be a great merging of the fan world if I could get him interested in this.’ ”
The Scottish actor is best known for his roles in Doctor Who, Harry Potter and Good Omens. Next up, Tennant will be seen in the series Hide and Rivals.
Tennant met his wife Georgia Moffett, daughter of Doctor Who alum Peter Davison and actress Sandra Dickinson, in 2008. They married in 2011 and have five children together.
Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll
The late Ray Stevenson will appear as former Jedi Baylan Skoll.
Stevenson died of undisclosed causes in May 2023 at the age of 58. The actor, who also starred in the first three Thor films and Punisher: War Zone, had shared his excitement about joining the cast of Ahsoka, telling Yahoo! Entertainment in April 2023, “Every day, it was exciting to find out is he really a bad guy? He’s not quite good but he’s quite bad.”
Ray Stevenson Describes Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Role in One of His Final Interviews Before His Death
That same month, he told EW’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast that the series’ design elements blew him away. “One of the things that was so overwhelming at first was the costumes are works of art. And the set designs,” he shared. “You think, ‘Who designed this?’ And then you look at the set construction that is surrounding you — the technical and creative talent is quite breathtaking. And you’ve got to summon it up from the balls of your feet, stand your ground and own the space.”
Stevenson’s credits include roles in Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Divergent film series and the HBO series Rome. He is survived by his partner, Elisabetta Caraccia, and his three sons.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 38, is joining the cast of Ahsoka as General Hera Syndulla.
The actress feels very connected to the character, telling Entertainment Weekly in 2023, “What I love about her is that she’s such a strong leader and fighter, and she’s also so maternal and nurturing. We don’t often see that depicted on screen. We see army generals being these very masculine, hard figures. And Hera has that, but she also has this softness to her. She really wants her crew to be loved and looked after, and at the same time, she’s pushing them to be better.”
Even prior to joining Ahsoka, Winstead had a connection to the Star Wars franchise: She is married to Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy and the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Winstead also told EW that their son, Laurie, learned about Star Wars early on. “In terms of our son’s favorite toys, he’s got his Grogu, he’s got Lola from the Obi-Wan series, and there’s a lot of Dadas around from different eras of Obi-Wan,” Winstead said. “He always knows that if he sees any sort of Obi-Wan figure around, that’s Dada. That’s what he knows it as right now.”
Winstead is well known for her performances in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. In 2023, Deadline reported that she will appear in the upcoming thriller Rich Flu alongside Rafe Spall and Lorraine Bracco.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren
Australian actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo, 28, is a new face in the Star Wars universe. Though her character, a Mandalorian fighter named Sabine Wren, has not yet appeared in any live-action Star Wars shows or films, Sabine appeared with Ahsoka in Star Wars Rebels and the web series Forces of Destiny.
Bordizzo has said her character has a “deep level of respect” for Ahsoka. “In the show they’ve been through a lot in the time that has passed, some of which we know about, some of which we don’t,” she told SFX magazine. “Their quests kind of end up overlapping, bringing them back together.”
Prior to Ahsoka, she appeared in The Greatest Showman and The Voyeurs.
Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger
Eman Esfandi joined Ahsoka as one of the most popular animated Star Wars characters, con artist and Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger
The actor shared his excitement when the show’s trailer was released in April 2023. “It was an absolute joy and honor to play a live-action hologram of such a beloved character,” he tweeted. “#EzraBridger aka Spectre-6, Jabba the Hut, & everyone’s favorite blueberry!!”
Prior to joining Ahsoka, Esfandi appeared King Richard. He is also a musician, releasing music under the stage name DragonWulf.
Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati
Ivanna Sakhno, 25, is joining Ahsoka as Shin Hati, one of the show’s villains. Collider described the character as a “disciple and apprentice of Baylan” who is ordered to kill Ahsoka.
Sakhno has made it clear she’s proud of her character despite Shin’s dubious origin story. “Shin is quite an intense and ambitious Force-wielder,” she told EW’s Dagobah Dispatch. “She is very skilled in lightsaber combat. She is a new character, so I don’t want to give away too much of who Shin is, as I would love the audience to be able to discover her.”
The Ukrainian-American actress previously starred in 2018’s Pacific Rim Uprising. She also had a role in Hulu’s TV adaptation of High Fidelity.
Diana Lee Inosanto as Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth
Diana Lee Inosanto’s character, Imperial Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, was first introduced on The Mandalorian, during which she notably lost a battle to Ahsoka. While speaking on Dagobah Dispatch with costar Lars Mikkelsen, Inosanto, 57, said that she didn’t even know her character’s name until after she filmed The Mandalorian.
“Everything was such a complete surprise,” she told EW. “Listen, I didn’t even know my name was Morgan Elsbeth until the night it aired. Seriously! … I just knew I was the Magistrate, so I had to make up this complete backstory. The night it aired, I was just stunned! I’m like, ‘I have a name?’ ”
Inosanto — also a stuntwoman and martial arts instructor — is married to martial arts practitioner Ron Balicki. Her father, Dan Inosanto, is an acclaimed martial arts instructor who had a close working relationship with Bruce Lee. (Lee was also Diana’s godfather.) In addition to Ahsoka, Inosanto will next be seen in Between the Aisles.
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma
Irish actress Genevieve O’Reilly, 46, will reprise her role as the senator and Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma, which she first debuted back in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005). O’Reilly also appeared as Mon Mothma in Rogue One, Star Wars Rebels and Andor.
“What a lovely surprise to have the opportunity to play this woman again,” she told Discussing Film in 2023. “And not only play her but to actually discover her as a woman, not just as the senator — to really stretch within her to find out about her life and who she was.”
O’Reilly is married to chiropractor Luke Mulvihill. The couple live in London with their two kids.
