Ashley Eckstein On How Voicing Ahsoka Changed Her Life

by Andrew FirrioloBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI’m a pop-culture writer covering everything from TV and movies, to music, Broadway, books, and games.

When Ashley Eckstein first voiced Ahsoka in 2008, she had no idea the journey it would take her on.

Disney / Via Everett Collection

I hopped on Zoom with Ashley as she prepared to reunite with fellow Clone Wars castmates Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor at a convention. As we introduced ourselves, I could hear Ahsoka come through in Ashley’s natural speaking voice, and it immediately brought back memories.

Ahsoka’s journey began with 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and quickly expanded into the animated series, where her snippy remarks and heart of gold made her a fan favorite. Fast forward through a defining arc in Rebels, a live-action series, and multiple novels, and Ahsoka has firmly cemented herself as one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars universe.

What better way to celebrate Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!) than by hearing some of Ashley's favorite behind-the-scenes memories? Below are some fun facts I learned from Ashley, as we chatted through Ahsoka's evolution.

Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Ashley loved seeing a female Jedi getting some time in the spotlight.

Disney / Via Everett Collection

Ashley: I knew from the very beginning that she was Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, which was shocking. As a Star Wars fan myself, I thought that Anakin didn't have a Padawan. This was a game-changer, and instantly, my mind was blown. We were also going to see a girl that was a Jedi on a regular basis. Yes, we had seen female Jedi before, but they were not the lead characters. The fact that we were going to see this female Jedi weekly was so exciting.

I knew that she was gonna be a little snippy, and that Anakin and Ahsoka were going to have a brother-sister relationship. But from there, I didn't know anything further.

Disney / Via Everett Collection

In the beginning, I was under the assumption that Ahsoka had to die. I heard many fan theories about it. Of course, I never wanted that to happen, but she wasn't in Episode 3 — so it was natural to believe that something would happen to her.

But never, ever did I imagine the storyline that would eventually become Ahsoka Tano's journey. Never did I imagine what would happen in the Siege of Mandalore, that she would appear on Star Wars: Rebels, or that she would have her own live-action series.

I always hoped that people would grow to love Ahsoka as I do. I never imagined how Ahsoka would change lives and save lives the way that she has now, 20 years later.

Ashley accidentally challenged Dave Filoni in her audition — and it landed her the role.

Her Universe / Via Triple 7 Public Relations, LLC

Ashley: Originally, they wanted Ahsoka to have an Icelandic accent, and I could not do an Icelandic accent. I sounded terrible. For some reason, I got a callback, so I studied and thought I had perfected an Icelandic accent. But it just wasn't what Dave Filoni wanted.

I don't know what came over me, but I did something in my callback that landed me the role. After I did the first line and thought I was doing well, Dave Filoni stopped me and asked, "No, can you do it more Icelandic?" I raised my hand, and I said, "I'm sorry, but I am doing Icelandic. I don't know what you want." It turns out that that got me the part.

He wanted somebody that was snippy, but not bratty or rude or disrespectful. When I was cast, I asked Dave. I said, "Why me?" He said, "Well, you're genuine, and Ahsoka is genuine."

So much credit goes to my parents. The number one rule in our house was that we had to be kind and that we had to treat others as we would want to be treated. So even when speaking back to the director, it was still done with genuine care, just wanting to do it correctly.

I think that's Ahsoka. Her kindness is her biggest power.

Matt Lanter and Ashley are basically Anakin and Ahsoka in real life.

Disney / Via Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Ashley: Like Anakin and Ahsoka, Matt and I are also like brother and sister.

It's an interesting story, because we had a different Anakin at first. His name was also Mat — shout out to Mat Lucas [voice of Anakin in Star Wars: Clone Wars]. He was an incredible Anakin, and we worked with him for about the first six months. Then they decided to recast, and they cast Matt Lanter.

I had already been recording Ahsoka, and we were five or six episodes in. Dave Filoni had told me, "Look, people are going to want to ship Anakin and Ahsoka. Absolutely not. This is like a brother-sister relationship."

So when I first met Matt — and he loves to tell the story — he came into the studio and before I even said, "Hi, nice to meet you," I just said, "Just so you know, there's nothing going on here!" I meant Anakin and Ahsoka — I was trying to tell him what Dave told me, and instead it turned into this really funny moment.

The Clone Wars cast still