Rosario Dawson, star of the upcoming Ahsoka series for Disney+, didn't think she would be landing roles as a Jedi at this point in her career.
"Honestly, as an actor in my 40s, I figured I'd be sent out to pasture by now," said Dawson in an interview with Vanity Fair. The 43-year-old actor made it clear how much she valued the opportunity, though. "I'm not going to say I take it for granted. Like, oh, I'm good for the rest of my life. But there's a sense of peace that I feel." Dawson said she hopes she can continue to play Ahsoka for a long, long time. "I get to be part of a universe, and a team, and a world in which even as I age I might still be able to participate." She continued on, saying, "To have that longevity with something, in my industry, that's not particularly heard of. It makes me feel so grateful."
Ahsoka will follow the adventures of a former Jedi and Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano. The young Padawan first appeared in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars film in 2008 and served as a main protagonist in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels television series. Dawson portrayed Ahsoka for the first time in live-action in Season 2 of The Mandalorian as an older version of the character following the fall of the Empire. Disney recently revealed that Ahsoka will premiere in 2023, with showrunner Dave Filoni calling it "a continuous story" and saying, "It's definitely driving toward a goal, in my mind, as opposed to being singular little adventures."
Dawson's comments come at a time when more and more women are breaking barriers to land leading roles in action-packed films and blockbusters. Natalie Portman's upcoming debut as the Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder left fans amazed at her character's appearance and physical transformation. "It was very physical, so it was a lot of both agility work and also strength work... and it's definitely changed the way I move," said Portman. "I mean, it's so wild to feel strong for the first time in my life."
Then, there is Michelle Yeoh. The 60-year-old actor recently starred in the acclaimed, mind-bending kung fu drama, Everything Everywhere All at Once, in which Yeoh took over a role that was originally written for a man. Director Daniel Scheinert said the filmmakers originally thought, "Action movie, going to star a dude," but then, "one of us started wondering what happens if we take Michelle's character and flop it and she becomes the protagonist," said director Dan Kwan. "The film just opened up in a completely different way."
Ahsoka will stream exclusively on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
Source: Vanity Fair