Rosario Dawson Talks 'Ahsoka' And The Training She Went Through For The Titular Role

Star Wars

May 19

A Force user doesn’t wake up a master of all possible skills, and neither do the people that portray them; it takes hard work, practice, and sometimes a mentor. The primary lesson to gain is that it isn’t an easy feat. On Entertainment Weekly’s podcast Dagobah Dispatch, Rosario Dawson gave fans a look at the commitment she put into performing Ahsoka as a character, from lightsaber work to Force training.

The actress began with a brief insight into the intensity of the work day, “Doing two hours a day, seven days a week, was pretty intense. And then you add on when we were actually filming and doing these different battles and having to continue to be studying it." Learning to fight as the character presented a special challenge along the way, as “she is ambidextrous.”

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Dawson explained the energy of her character and what she had to bring to the performance, "She's so fierce from the very beginning. It was never a question about was she capable. She meets every single match just so head-on. There's no hesitancy from her whatsoever, and that's really different from someone who's learning martial arts in their 40s who's trying to protect their face."

After enough time and practice goes into one’s craft, things start to fall into place. Dawson experienced this, explaining, "There was definitely a moment a few months into the training where I just felt it land in my body in a way.” Eventually “it clicked in…stuff started feeling more familiar and seamless” and she “locked into Ahsoka."

To tap into the Force and how to present it through performance, the actress explained, "It's the intention and the desire behind it.” In this training, Dawson found a deeper meaning to the Force and how to embody it in everyday life. Bringing that energy to her performance, she continued, “I feel like I have it more than someone who just wants to move an object. I definitely feel more powerful and confident portraying this character, and I think it does show up.”

Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ in August 2023. The series will follow the titular character as she investigates an emerging galactic threat with the help of old friends. There will be eight episodes in total.

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