7 Star Wars Voice Actors Who Were Recast For Live-Action

7 Star Wars Voice Actors Who Were Recast For Live-ActionShow more

Star Wars has added a lot of new characters in their animated franchises, but when they make the leap to live-action, they are often recast. Star Wars has always been a transmedia franchise, with many characters making the jump from animation to live-action - and some recast. In a transmedia franchise like Star Wars, it's quite common for characters to transition from one medium to another. This often requires recasting, usually for practical reasons; it would be too expensive for Lucasfilm to hire Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, for example. It can work the...

Star Wars has added a lot of new characters in their animated franchises, but when they make the leap to live-action, they are often recast. Star Wars has always been a transmedia franchise, with many characters making the jump from animation to live-action - and some recast. In a transmedia franchise like Star Wars, it's quite common for characters to transition from one medium to another. This often requires recasting, usually for practical reasons; it would be too expensive for Lucasfilm to hire Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, for example. It can work the other way round, of course, especially now animated Star Wars shows are inspiring new live-action Star Wars Disney+ TV shows. Indeed, it's not unusual for voice actors to be recast when their characters transition into a live-action form; they may have no experience in front of the camera, look nothing like the character they've portrayed, or simply not fit a director or showrunner's vision. This consequently means transmedia franchises often recast voice actors, and this has often been the case with Star Wars. 8 Ahsoka Tano Was Voiced By Ashley Eckstein, Played By Rosario Dawson In animation, Anakin Skywalker's former Padawan Ahsoka Tano has been (and continues to be) voiced by Ashley Eckstein. She joined Star Wars in the 2008 animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and reprised the role as recently as 2022's Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi; the decision to bring back Eckstein honored The Clone Wars in the best way. In live-action, Ahsoka is played by Rosario Dawson (Daredevil, The North Pole, Clerks III). Dawson was a great choice, as she has the look of the former Padawan and the strong and distinct voice that Ahsoka so wonderfully embodied. Her presence is palpable on screen and it’s exciting to see what Dawson will do with the role in the upcoming Disney+ series Ahsoka. 7 Ezra Bridger Was Voiced By Taylor Gray, Will Be Played By Eman Esfandi The Padawan of Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger made his debut in Star Wars Rebels. The show ran for four seasons, showing Ezra's growth as a Jedi and a member of the Ghost crew. While Ezra didn't get to see the Battle of Endor (unlike other members of the crew), the finale of Star Wars Rebels saw him sacrifice himself to defeat Grand Admiral Thrawn - lost in hyperspace. Ezra was voiced by Taylor Gray (American Princess, The Wheel, 9-1-1) in the animated series, but it's been confirmed he will be replaced by Eman Esfandi (The Inspection, King Richard, Red 11) in live-action. 6 Sabine Wren Was Voiced By Tiya Sircar, Will Be Played By Natasha Liu Bordizzo The upcoming Ahsoka Disney+ TV show is also confirmed to feature Mandalorian inventor Sabine Wren. Actress Tiya Sircar (Supergirl, Master of None, The Crazy Ones) did an excellent job voicing the former wielder of the Darksaber, but Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Hotel Mumbai, The Greatest Showman, The Society) is taking over for live-action. Bordizzo’s casting seems to be spot on, as she visibly resembles the animated character. This doesn't necessarily mean Sircar's time as Sabine is over, of course, as she could still return in shorts. 5 Saw Gerrera Was Originally Voiced By Andrew Kishino, Is Now Played By Forest Whitaker Star Wars keeps bringing back Saw Gerrera, a brutal rebel leader who was voiced by Andrew Kishino (Love, Death Robots, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Catwoman: Hunted) in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He brought a rough edge to Saw's voice, one that would have been difficult to match in live-action if not for the fantastic performance of Hollywood legend Forest Whitaker. He debuted in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, playing a much older version of Saw, and has since reprized the role. Both actors bring a gritty edge to the character, which aligns closely with Saw’s ideals and goals a...