June 24, 2025 • 48 mins
We've reached the end of Season One of 'Star Wars Rebels' and since Fulcrum was revealed to be none other than Ahsoka Tano, it was only right that we brought on the voice of Ahsoka herself, ASHLEY ECKSTEIN! Ashley reminisces about keeping the Fulcrum secret for so long, how she started the 'Ahsoka Lives' hashtag (and how it got her in trouble) and of course her interactions with the Rebels cast.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, that moment of Ahsoka walking away from the Jedi
Order gave him the strength to walk away from something
that was a very toxic situation, and how it saved
his life. And it was that moment when I realized,
oh my gosh, this is way deeper and more meaningful
(00:21):
than anything that I ever could have imagined.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hey, everybody, this is Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Harrison Doula,
Specter number two. Here we are at the Pod of Rebellion,
and today I am joined by Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I'm tsur Car, voice of Sabine Wren Spectr five.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
And with me we have what's up Taylor Gray as
for Bridger Specter six, and we also have.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Hi, I'm john Ley Brody, your nonspector Buffull on Moderator,
and today we're going over Season one, episode fifteen, Fire
across the Galaxy.
Speaker 6 (01:03):
But that's not all.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
We also have a very special guest joining us today
for this recap, someone who's been a part of the
Star Wars universe for almost two decades, and we've also
been lucky enough to be a part of her universe
as well. Not only the voice of an important Rebel
Alliance leader, she's also a mind leader in real life
to an incredible work in the field and mental health awareness.
It's a great pleasure and honor to welcome with the
first of hopefully many many many appearances on the Pot
(01:25):
of Rebellion, the first woman. The voice is central heroic
character in a Star Wars animated series, the voice of Ahsokatano,
the incredible and very fashionable Ashley x Stein.
Speaker 6 (01:36):
Welcome.
Speaker 7 (01:38):
Thank you so much. Oh my gosh, I'm humbled by
the introduction.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
What a kind introduction, and I guess I should say
this is fulcrum checking in.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
To be here.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Well, thank you for joining us, Ashley, And we couldn't
anything less than a red carpet roll out for you
to join us, for covering the season finale and getting
to this point of the podcast and this point in
the Star Wars Rebels. It just we couldn't do anything
lest it would be uncivilized if we didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Well, I just think it's so amazing what y'all are doing.
Star Wars Rebels is so beloved and it's I tell
people some of my favorite Ahsoka moments of.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
All are in Star Wars Rebels, and so I've.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Just been having fun listening to you all, and I'm
honored to enter the pod.
Speaker 7 (02:24):
We're thrilled to have you.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 7 (02:27):
Thank you well.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
Excellent, excellent. I love the vibes, and we're going to
get into this episode. And usually what I do, Ashley,
is I do a little recap. Instead of us going
beat by bee for an entire episode, I got a
little recap and I try to make it a little
fun and I'm honored to be doing this.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
In front of you.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
A little nervous actually, because it's like, you know, we
got we got some you know, I'm surrounded by royalty
each week in the Star Wars universe, but then when
we have special guests, like oh another sense of urgency.
Speaker 7 (02:52):
So oh my gosh, don't be nervous. Sorry, nerves are good.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
It's just there's an old saying with the up butterflies
in your stomach, just get them flying in the same
direction and then you're gonna be cat. So that's what
I'm going to try to tap into right now. So
here comes the recap for season one, episode fifteen, Fire
Across the Galaxy. Original air date March second, twenty fifteen.
Speaker 6 (03:11):
Here we go.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
The episode begins with the being executing perfect ten gymnastics
like these shelled like she's Nadiyakominici at the nineteen seventy
six Olympics, while actively roasting the poor buckeheads guarding the
Imperial base in a way that would make Jeff Frost proud.
It's the perfect version as Ezra and Zeb stealing Imperial ship.
And then, like Nick Casion the year two thousand, the
dynamic trio is gone in sixty seconds as the base
explodes like a Michael Bay movie. With the stolen Imperial
(03:33):
Transport now in their possession, the covert mission to rescue
Canaan is fully underway with the added ingredient of stolen
tie fighter that Ezra and Zeb stole a while back. Meanwhile,
Canaan remained solid despite the tortuous efforts of the inquisitor,
who's talking more trash than Larry Bird in the eighties.
But that's all interrupted once the Ghost crew cuts the
power and infiltrates the ship. And now this is where
the fund truly begins. From out running stormtroopers that as
(03:55):
arare climbing through the events like as Jean mcclan and Nakotomi
Plaza to the epic light suber battle between the Inquisitor
and Knanae, a moment where Canaan doesn't just fight, he
lets go of his limitations and fear, as if he
somehow was able to read Michael Allen Singer's book The
Untitled Soul. While in Imperial Captivity, the dual ends with
Canaan as the victor and with the Inquisitor taking a
hot plunge in the star Destory react to Chord. However,
when the group makes their escape, they're chaos. Troid Chopper
(04:17):
is nowhere to be found, and they're ambushed by Tie fighters,
And just when it seems like they're way too outnumbered,
and Ezra shares a sentiment similar to the orchestra on
the Titanic. How from hyperspace comes Chopper, with the fleet
ready to clean house like their Danny Tanner. Courtesy of
the Rebel Alliance and the mysterious Fulcrum, we then at
last get the ghost full Ghost family reunion and our
vomcom worthy moment between Hara and Canaan. That's dare I
(04:38):
say all that? But it doesn't end there. The Ghost
crew learns via Senda Organa, who looks a lot like
the guy from nypd Blue.
Speaker 6 (04:45):
Or is it the guy from Miss Congeniali.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
You can never tell these days that they are part
of a much bigger movement, given them all confirmation that
they're not truly alone.
Speaker 6 (04:53):
But that's not all.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
In a truly epic mic drop moment, we get a
reveal that Fulcrum is none other then the double biling
lightsaber fighting cooler than the other side of the pillow,
and the deep style pull of a hawth a soda katano,
a moment that no doubt left Rebels viewers more surprised
than Super Bowl viewers than twenty thirteen when Destiny's child
showed up at halftime If you Know you Know, and
with the return of the watch one known as Ahsoka
and an added feeling of hope on the other side
(05:16):
of the galaxy, the man who once trained the Phantom
Padawan has his own Beyonce at halftime moment when he
reveals himself to be the Empire secret weapon that will
once overall take the spark out of this rebellion. And that,
my friends, is the recap for season one, episode fifteen,
Fire Across the Galaxy and a rap on Season one
of Star Wars.
Speaker 7 (05:34):
Rebels whoa Sean.
Speaker 8 (05:39):
Yeah, I mean it's a reference every half second.
Speaker 6 (05:43):
I had to bring the good side, to bring the
extra stuff.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
Today and it's the season finale, Ashley's here, Fulcrum's revealed.
We all know who it is, even though we all
kind of like kind of hope to knew who she was.
But we're here and there's your, uh, your first exposure
to our our recap style.
Speaker 7 (05:59):
Actually, that was impressive, most impressive.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Oh, I'm going to just like pack it all up.
I'm going to close up. So usually we get our
initial thoughts on the episode. But since you're here and
I feel like people know you're on the podcast at
this point because it's in the title on Apple podcasts Ashy,
can you give us insight into at what point you
were approached by the powers that be for Star Wars
(06:26):
Rebels to be Fulcrum and how long you had to
keep this secret from people? And I would love insight
into that because we've gotten Vanessa, Ta and Taylor's perspective
of when they found out who knew when?
Speaker 6 (06:38):
But what was it like for you?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Oh my goodness, I knew pretty much once Star Wars
Rebels premiered because I remember having dinner with Dave and
the crew, and I think they were getting ready to
go to the series premiere of Star Wars Rebels, and
(07:02):
I already knew at that point, because I think I
had already recorded, and I remember saying, no, I'm not
going to go to the premiere because I don't want
to tip people off, like I don't want people to
think I have any association, because we really want to
keep it a surprise, and if I show up there,
they might think, like, Okay, she has something to do
with it. So I remember I knew, But there was
(07:25):
a moment in time where I found out that Disney
was making Star Wars Rebels and I didn't know yet
if Ahsoka was going to be a part of it,
and you know, I was so excited for more Star Wars.
But I do remember a bit of sadness because it
was just like it's almost like when you go through
(07:46):
a breakup and then you know the you know your
your boyfriend moves on without you, and you know you're
let's say it's amicable, and you're sad.
Speaker 7 (07:59):
You know you're happy for them, but then sad that
you know it's like they're moving on without you.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
So I Remember, there was a period of time of just,
you know, a little bit of sadness because it's like,
oh wow, there's this exciting new series, but I'm not
a part of it. So there was a lot of
excitement once I found out that Ahsoka was going to
come back.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Was it after this episode aired that Dave did the
Ahsoka Lives? Sure?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Okay, I gotta set the record straight here, because Dave
did not start Ahsoka Lives. I'm taking full credit for
this because I actually got myself in trouble by starting this.
So I did an interview with Jimmy Mac and Jason
from Rebel Force Radio, and they were telling me about
(08:47):
the whole Darth Vader Lives movement where you know, the
fans started something and it said Darth Vader lives.
Speaker 7 (08:55):
And so you know, this is when we didn't know
did ah Soca lived? Did she not?
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And so if we find out that Ahsoka lives, you
know we could we could start our own campaign. So
I kind of held on to that, and then the
second that Ahsoka walked down that ladder in the season finale,
I went to Twitter and I did hashtag Ahsoka lives. Well,
(09:25):
how I got myself in trouble was with the internets
because half the world had not seen the season finale yet,
so I totally spoiled it and everyone was so angry
with me. So it was like I divided the Internet.
Half the people they were so excited because they had
(09:46):
seen it and they were celebrating with me, and the
other half they were so angry with me that I
just spoiled it. But you know, we hold onto these
secrets for so long, and the second that she walked
on that ladder, I couldn't hold the secret any longer.
So there it was. I released it on Twitter, Ahsoka lives,
(10:06):
and eventually people got over it. They were just excited
that Ahsoka lives. But that's where the hashtag started and
then it you know, continued from there.
Speaker 8 (10:15):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
What an issue of, like like time zones or was
had that episode just not aired on that date for
people in different places?
Speaker 7 (10:26):
It was an issue of time zones. So I don't remember.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I must have been on the East Coast because I,
you know, my homes in Florida it's on the East Coast,
so I must have watched it on the East Coast,
which meant I totally spoiled it for the West Coast,
and I think I actually issued an apology afterwards.
Speaker 7 (10:46):
Did you I'd have to go back.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
It's been so long, but I think I shoed an apology,
like I'm so sorry I owed this for you all,
but I was just so excited.
Speaker 7 (10:58):
I don't blame you. We were all so very excited.
Speaker 8 (11:02):
That was a time to you. I think it's partly
on fans.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
You can't go on Twitter right before a show that
you enjoy. I just know that with sports, like anytime
there's a good game on, I'm not going anywhere near
social media if I'm out and I've recorded it or
I'm getting back to watch it later, because I mean,
the Internet now we're all so connected people. I have
to not even look at text because buddies all texting.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Yeah, and it sounds weird to say, but you know,
those were still early days of social media and and
you know, we were still figuring out the etiquette rules.
And now there's like so many etiquette rules that you know,
it's like, okay, I can't do that. But I didn't
even think about it, Like it was just my excitement
over it was like it was an override of my
(11:49):
thoughts and I just was so excited to celebrate with
the fans.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Well, I think that's just a testament to how you
feel about you know, Star Wars and Ahsoka and reprising
your role and I say you get a pass.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
It's been over a decade, but I still say you
get a pass. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
I was gonna say we talked. We've talked about on
the podcast. The Fulcrum name. That's one that we've always
been trying to figure out because ful Crome, like some
some words or names in Star Wars, you can't really
play them. I'm sure there is some etymology to it,
but Fulkrom, we're all familiar with that word of like
what it means? Did they did they ever talk to
(12:30):
you about that? Like it having any sort of purpose
for or is it just a fun title? Because I
know sometimes you ask them about a name, a character name,
and it's just like, oh is my dog's name?
Speaker 9 (12:42):
I mean?
Speaker 4 (12:42):
And then other times it has this very deep rooted,
deep seated meaning for this leverage point that held the
entire rebellion together.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
You know, I remember asking Dave about it, and again,
my memories are fussy because it's been so long, but
I think you know, I remember him saying, well, a
full Crum could be many different people, you know, it
could be many different people that were in hiding, and
this full Crumb happens to be Ah Soka if I'm
remembering that correctly. So so, yeah, I mean it, it didn't.
(13:21):
It doesn't have any special meaning to my knowledge. It's
not like it's one of Dave's pets or anything. But
but yeah, and you're right, there's there's many of those.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
I remember in.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Clone Wars, I voiced the droid K two B four
and it was a purple and gold droid and that
was actually because somebody on the crew was a really
big Kobe Bryant and that droid was named after Kobe Bryant.
And so so yeah, there's a lot of fun Easter
(13:56):
eggs like that. But full crim I believe, was just
like literally really the name that anyone could have been Fulcrum,
and that Fulcrum happened to be Ah Soska.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I have a question, and this might be a JC question,
does that mean so we we actually talked about this
a couple episodes ago or a few episodes ago, about
Fulcrum and that there could be more than one, but
I don't remember if we discussed is there only one
full crumb at a time? Like fulcrum can be adopted
by There can be a fulcrum and then there another
(14:29):
person can assume that uh code name. But are there
many fulcrums existing at the same time in different places
doing similar work or is there just well full crumb
at a time?
Speaker 7 (14:41):
Is that a JC?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Is that?
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Okay?
Speaker 8 (14:47):
I just don't know.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
But it's like you know, the Aga con there's only
one at a time, but there are many, you know,
in succession.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
I don't know why he chose, but I I like
that pool. I mean is like I mean, I think
of like the sea Saw. It's like the tipping point.
So that's essentially what Ahsoka was. And when she shows up,
it's the literal manifestation of hope for this rebel alliance,
because like, this person that's been helping isn't just this
voice on the other end. She's actually a real person
and no, or it's almost like I know, I'm going
(15:17):
to get DC fans mad at me whatever, like and Batman,
he's like, well, Batman is a symbol. It's not necessarily
who's under the mask. It's like the symbol of what
Batman stands for is what the message that you want
to put out there, And that's essentially what I get
out of Fulcrum. One thing I wanted to bring back
to something Vanessa. You brought this up like way, like
a few episodes ago that we did. How you knew
(15:39):
before I believe you knew before everyone else who Folkrim
was because Hara knew. So therefore you knew. And I
don't know how much contact contact any y'all had with
each other during this process, but I have to imagine
the trying to tiptoe around these things must have been
very tricky. While while you know during that during that time.
Speaker 7 (15:58):
Well, I'm not sure that it was sort of.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Private knowledge that yes, only the character of Heron knew,
but the Mega Clone Wars fan Vanessa who worships Snips
on a daily basis when I heard that, I mean,
I don't know, because Tea and Taylor sort of came
brand new to much of this. For me, it was
(16:23):
like the most pivotal fact on Earth. And I'll never
forget the day that I met you. I don't know
if you remember my ugly crying. I do remember, I do.
I thank you so deeply from the bottom of my
heart for all your work and your heart and soul
that you brought. Oh, just some of the best moments
(16:46):
in animation that are just ever etched on my heart
that I can't still cannot thank you enough for. But
I was so touched the day that you came in
to record, and I'm not sure. I think it might
have been for you know, some of your full kromblines
earlier before the reveal, and you you brought us sweatshirts
from her universe, which was like the most kind, incredible thing.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
To have done.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I mean, we were so honored to have you, and
you know, to be gifted on top of that was
like I was losing my mind. But so I'm not
sure if it was fangirl Vanessa Marshall freaking out because
I knew what that meant, or I don't. I don't
(17:32):
remember Dave's warning swearing me to secrecy, but I'm not
sure that anyone else understood how we will break the
Internet with the finale.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
I was well aware.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So I do remember this moment because Dave told me
ahead of time. He told me he said, Hey, there's
this girl named Vanessa.
Speaker 7 (17:57):
You're gonna be.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
You know, she's a really big fan. She's probably gonna cry.
Oh yeah, he totally said that, and so I think
it was more from what I remember, just you as Vanessa,
and he had told you because he knew that you
were a fan. But I have to tell you, I
was so blown away. Because we need to go back
(18:22):
in time to this moment. Keep in mind that it
really wasn't until I feel like twenty twenty that Ahsoka
kind of became as popular as she is today. She
was still this character that relatively, you know, globally, Star
(18:47):
Wars fans had never heard of. You know, I remember
there was an article that my friend Sarah wrote for
a major news site and she said, let me tell
you about one of the most popular Star Wars characters
that no one's ever heard of, And that was like
the best way to describe a Sosoka, because you know,
I had been voicing Ahsoka since two thousand and eight,
(19:11):
and I remember I would tell people, you know, oh,
I'm the voice of a Star Wars character, and they'd
get so excited. They'd say, oh who, and I'd say, well,
her name's Ahsoka Tano and then everyone would look at
me like huh.
Speaker 7 (19:24):
You know, nobody had ever heard.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Of Ahsoka Tano, and so I wasn't used to people
knowing who I was. Like it was this niche of
the universe, and the niche of the universe that loved
Clone Wars loved it, and they knew who I was.
They knew who Ahsoka was, and they loved her. But
it was still it wasn't like mainstream. So to have
(19:47):
someone that not only knew who I was, but then
was such a huge fan that it brought you to tears, Like,
I was so blown away and humbled by it.
Speaker 7 (19:57):
I was shocked. Here's the thing to call.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I grew up in the industry. My mom was on television,
My dad was a news reporter. He won Emmy's I
gave zero. That is not currency for me in general,
but as a storyteller, as a person who believes that
there is sacred healing to be found in the much
(20:20):
needed portal of entertainment for all of us to come
together as a collective and heal and grow as a culture,
this was like an archaeological reverence. This was not like
I'm serious, Like, so, just so you understand, there's fangirl
fan girling and then there's like astral projection.
Speaker 10 (20:42):
Metaphysical bowing to no, to you and to the entire
team who when you left the Jedi Order and that
screen went black and for the first time in all
of Clone Wars, there was no need music.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
That moment is etched in everyone's hearts.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
It's not just mine, and it's not like fangirl, Oh
my god, teen tiger beat eeah, like this is. I
cried because that moment taught me something that it's important
to stand up for what you believe in. It matters
that we all make a difference. That was a political statement,
a socio economic like it was. It was incredible and
(21:28):
it's not I mean, it's funny to me that Dave
said that I would cry like a fangirl or whatever
it is that, but it's more than that, and it
was really just thank you for deeply touching so many
human beings to awaken something and then that they didn't
know they had.
Speaker 7 (21:43):
That it matters to stand up for what's right.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
So I just want to qualify that I've met Jodie
Foster and I've been like, hey, I've met a lot
of very famous people in my.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
Life, and that's that's not what it's about.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
It's about the art full moment that was made in
excellent storytelling For me, in the span of the Star
Wars saga, one of the greatest stories ever told. That
moment is important and I thanked you for that.
Speaker 7 (22:13):
So just to qualify, but that's hilarious. That did warn
do that. I didn't know he knew me.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I mean, I think he probably thinks I'm coming from
sort of a shallow standpoint, but from like truly that.
Speaker 7 (22:27):
That was very, very very special.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
No, he doesn't think that at all, but I think
and thank you for saying that, and I very much
see that now. But it was you have to understand
our mindset at the time. So just to even go
back there, keep in mind, we thought that we were
going to make at least eight seasons of Clone Wars.
(22:54):
So we were completely blindsided by the fact that Disney
bought Star Wars, as was everyone. I mean I think
literally five people knew. So it sent shockwaves through the
universe that Disney bought Star Wars.
Speaker 7 (23:11):
But then to have the Clone.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Wars canceled, it was just like the rug was pulled
out from under us, and we were devastated. We didn't
get that moment to have that final episode. We didn't
get to have that you know moment where we knew
it was the last record where we could sign each
other's scripts and have a good cry. We just we
(23:34):
went in to record an episode. We thought we were
coming back for another season, and then that other season
never happened, and so I think we were kind of
stuck in our own sadness that we didn't realize how
impactful that final moment that the season five finale was
(23:54):
going to be for people. And so it was until
And I can share this story because I've since you know,
gotten to know this fan. His name is Jacob, and
I've asked his permission to share this story. But you know,
I think Star Wars Rebels had come out at this point.
And I was at D twenty three and or D
(24:17):
twenty three Expo, and I was about to leave the
floor of the expo floor and I got a call
from my friend Thomas and he said, hey, Ashley, are
you still here? And I was like, yeah, I'm about
to leave, and he said don't leave. He said, please
run over to the food court. There's someone I want
you to meet. And I ran to the food court
(24:39):
and I'm like, well, this must be really important if
Thomas is asking me to run over there. And all
of a sudden, there's this gentleman who I now know
is this is this wonderful fan named Jacob, And all
I remember is him just giving me the biggest, like
biggest bear hug, and he wrapped his arms around me,
(25:00):
and he just started crying. And we stood there and
here I am with this perfect stranger, and we stood
there embraced for what felt like, you know, five minutes,
and he just cried. He cried on my shoulder, and
and you know, I wasn't it was such a beautiful thing.
Speaker 7 (25:21):
You know, I wasn't scared of it.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I was so touched at the moment of like, oh wow,
what is happening here? And then we pulled apart and
he shared with me how Ahsoka saved his life, and
how that moment of Ahsoka walking away from the Jedi
Order gave him the strength to walk away from something
(25:42):
that was a very toxic situation, and how it saved
his life. And it was that moment when I realized,
oh my gosh, this is way deeper and more meaningful
than anything that I ever could have imagined and how
(26:03):
Ahsoka having the strength to walk away from the Jedi
order transcended the story, transcended the screen and is now
in people's lives and gave someone the strength to literally.
Speaker 7 (26:18):
Save his life.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
And so so yeah, that's when I mean, Ahsoka was
always more than just a part to me.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
But it was that moment where I.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Was like, whoa, Okay, like this is this is a
once in a lifetime role for me, and I will
dedicate my life to this. And so so yes, Vanessa,
I very much know how much that meant to you.
But you have to keep in mind, at that moment
in time, I was kind of so unaware of what
(26:55):
had happened, that Ahsoka had become more than a character,
that she had taken up a place in people's hearts,
and that she was now changing and saving lives and
so so yeah, I was just so surprised of like,
whoa you know of Ahsoka?
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Huh?
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, well your story perfectly illustrates why I was so
honored to finally meet you. And you know, then we
went on our jolly professional ways and told our stories
together and this and that, but just for one moment,
I needed to honor what you gave of yourself. So
thank you for me, for Jacob, for everybody, thank you
(27:34):
for that beautiful story.
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Thank you so much for sharing that Ashley, and it
brings up, I think an interesting point. And you are
so incredible in the mental health awareness space. I watch
your Mental health Mondays every single Monday, and it's like
a great reset for the week and start to the week.
And what you bring up is something really I think
important to bring up. And I don't know if it's talked
about it enough, and I know the four of you
had to deal with it in some way, But stories
like that with Jacob, which is a beautiful story, but
(27:56):
i'd imagine you get, especially now with this resurgence of
Clone Wars, Rebel everything, You're going to get a lot
of people going you're a silka to me, like they
conflate you with Ahsoka, and you seem to find this
way to hold space for that fan love but not
lose sight of who Ashley is. So can you touch
on that a little bit because I feel like that's
(28:16):
something that's not talked about enough with public figures like yourself.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Well, I think as actors we have a choice, and
a lot of actors or anyone like athletes, you know,
they come out and say, well, I don't want to
be a role model. That's not what I want to be.
But to me, if you're lucky, you are cast or
(28:44):
have the opportunity to.
Speaker 7 (28:47):
Play a character that is more than a role.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
And some actors can go their entire career and never
get to play a role that is like this, that
transcends the screen.
Speaker 7 (29:03):
These roles are truly once in a lifetime.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
And I think in all of our cases, in many ways,
we were cast to be ourselves. Like Ezra is very
much Taylor, Tia is very much Sabine, Vanessa is very
much Harah. I was cast as Ahsoka to literally be myself.
They ask me, we don't we didn't know what we
(29:29):
wanted for Ahsoka. So literally bring your own personality to Ahsoka.
We want Ahsoka to be you. And it's definitely the
case with Vanessa, Tea and Taylor. So naturally our characters
our us, and we are our characters. And I think
what happened over time with me is even though I
(29:50):
brought my own personality to Ahsoka, as I got to
know Ahsoka, I'm like, wait a minute, I want to
be Ahsoka. I want to be a real life version
of her because I see that this is more than
just a part, that this is a character that if
(30:11):
I choose to accept the mission, I can literally.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
Be a reflection of her and help change lives. And
what an incredible thing.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
And to me, I just view it as you know,
talking about Star Wars as a whole, We're just continuing
to carry the torch, or I guess carry the lightsaber.
Speaker 7 (30:38):
It's a responsibility.
Speaker 8 (30:40):
You know.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Star Wars has been around for almost fifty years and
it's going to be around for another fifty We are
just the people currently carrying the lightsaber.
Speaker 7 (30:53):
It's not mine, it's not ours.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
That's why I'm always careful to say I'm one part
of Team Tano, because I was never Ahsokatano. You know,
Dave was never Ahsokatano. We're just two of the people
of a giant team of people that it takes to
bring Ahsoka to life, and so it takes a lot
(31:18):
of people to bring Star Wars to life. And so
we're just the current current representatives that are continuing to
carry the Lightsaber into the next generation, which hopefully will
continue generations to come. So for me, It's really important
because I view it as almost kind of it comes
(31:40):
with the job to you know, it's part of it.
It's part of the territory to be a representative, to
carry the torch, to pass on the force, and so
I want to do that. I've accepted the mission because
I feel like I won the lottery.
Speaker 7 (31:58):
But with winning the law.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Comes responsibility, and so I want that responsibility and I
want to continue to pay it forward.
Speaker 5 (32:07):
Beautifully said, very very voltaire of you to say all that,
to hold the weight of the responsibility and that power and.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
What you just said up.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Can I give credit though, to Vanessa, Tia and Taylor
because they also do that. They are everything that the
fans want their characters to be. And you all are
such beautiful representations of Star Wars, and I see your
interactions with the fans, and you know that deserves all
(32:39):
the flowers and all the applause.
Speaker 7 (32:42):
I just see how much the fans look up to you,
and I'm just.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Such a proud, hype friend of who you are and
how you continue to carry the torch.
Speaker 7 (32:50):
So just amazing job.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
Thanks Ashley, You're.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
A great role model that we were able to look
to and follow in your foots.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
I do remember when I first came on and met y'all.
You know, it was weird for me because I was
the snippy padawan on Clone Wars, like I was the
one learning, and then I came to Rebels and you
all were so new, as they would say, you're so green,
you're so fresh, and I had all of this knowledge
(33:24):
and all of a sudden, I'm like, WHOA, when did
I become the Jedi Knight of the ground, Like how
did I become the one with the knowledge. But I
do remember, even though Harrah's the Space Mom, I'm never
going to take that title, but I very much felt
like the space mom to the Ghost crew. And it's
just incredible to see how far you all have come.
(33:45):
And I just applaud the roles that you all play today,
your amazing representations of your characters, and for the Star
Wars family, that's very kind.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
Thank you, Thank you very kids.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
At Theeld the way and what your is very interesting
and something that actually stood out when Folk rum Flashahsoka
finally makes her her debut. It's really like I fixated
on your voice this episode because I watched Clone Wars
from the beginning and you just touched on the fact that,
and I remember reading this in interview years ago, how
you were cast more so your personality and what you
(34:19):
were bringing. The sparky brought naturally into the booth. But
when we meet Ahsoka, she's like this fourteen year old, spunky,
eager padawan like you just mentioned the snippy padawan. But
once she shows up mb Rebel, she's this very calm, mature,
seasoned version of herself. And I was just curious if
you were consciously thinking about that transformation and her voice
or was it something that just unfolded organically because you
(34:43):
were having your own personal growth and those two things
came together. That's the thing that really stood out to me,
And I'm wondering if you can give insight on that.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Well, it's so funny you bring that up, because it's both.
It's both. So first of all, my voice right now
is a little hoarse, if anyone's wondering, I just came
from a convention, and you know, after talking all weekend
and not getting much sleep, my voice is a little
horse So definitely sounds like Ahsoka's been in battle or something.
(35:13):
But so it was twofold, so I was cast as
Ahsoka when I was twenty five, but I was I
was young, and I was playing on television because keep
in mind, I was, you know, mostly a film and
television actress. Ahsoka was my first big voice over role,
and so at the time in film and television I
(35:35):
was I was playing a sixteen year old, So I
was playing a teenager, so I naturally sounded really really young.
But in between being cast as Ahsoka in two thousand
and six to when I started playing Soca and Rebels,
(35:57):
I had actually caught up with my actual age. So
I was the same age as Ahsoca in Rebels as
I was in real life. So for once, at the
beginning of every season, I would always discuss with Dave,
you know, how old is Ahsoka?
Speaker 7 (36:13):
And then where in my register do you want me
to be?
Speaker 1 (36:16):
And so we would play with, you know, the place
in my register where we wanted Ahsoka to sound, and
so for once.
Speaker 7 (36:24):
He was like, just be you, just literally be you be.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
You know your exact age, how do you sound today?
So on one hand, it was a conscious effort and
discussion of where we wanted her to be. But then
on the other hand, I was able to draw from
my real life, So I it was almost life imitates
art because I had been through a lot in my
(36:51):
life when you know, I started Rebels, So when I
was cast as Ahsoka in Clone Wars, full time actress
in LA and had a pretty successful career, and in
the middle of all that, I had gotten married and
my husband was playing baseball at the time, and his
(37:12):
career took him to Toronto.
Speaker 7 (37:14):
Well, that meant that I moved to Toronto with him.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Well, I couldn't get a work visa in Toronto, and
I also couldn't I couldn't be in LA as much.
Speaker 7 (37:25):
I had to be with him, and he had had.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
A bunch of injuries, and that meant that I needed
to be with him and go to doctor's appointments, which
also meant I couldn't be in LA and I couldn't
be actively auditioning. Well, all of my agents and managers
dropped me, so literally, I went from having a successful
career to nothing.
Speaker 7 (37:47):
And I'll never forget.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
My manager called me and she said, Ashley, if you're
not in LA, you're not auditioning. If you're not auditioning,
you're not working. If you're not working, you're not making us.
And if you're not making us money, You're no good
to us, and like that, I like lost everything and.
Speaker 7 (38:09):
I was devastated. It was literally like the Jedi Council.
It was like Ahsoca, all she ever knew was.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Being a Jedi and then you know, they dropped her. Essentially.
That was literally what happened to me. And so her
universe came from a place of devastation. Her universe. That's
when her universe started because I couldn't act, and so
I had to figure out what can I do that
(38:37):
I don't have to be in La. So you know,
I started her universe. But it wasn't easy. It was
really really hard and had a lot of setbacks, a
lot of failures. So I was pretty beat down when
I started voicing a Soca in Rebels. So I had
a lot of real life experience that I could pull from,
(39:00):
equal with the fact.
Speaker 7 (39:01):
That I was the same age as Ahska.
Speaker 8 (39:04):
I remember that. That was the conversations Tia.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I don't know the age thing as much with like
other characters, but I remember that with Ezra, this thing
of like always younger because in no Other and no
O they're on screen, thing, can you really play that
different of an age, but in voiceover, sure, like Vanessa,
I'm sure you've played like you've probably played. I've seen
you do the baby right like you can. You can
(39:30):
go the entire spectrum of age. It is funny to
be like, Okay, well if I just changed my register
a little bit, now I'm fourteen, and then if I
go here now I'm thirty five.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
And I remember those conversations being very funny.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
I thought we were gonna get a baby demo. I
was like waiting for that's gonna be the social clip
that takes us viral.
Speaker 6 (39:54):
I haven't had that.
Speaker 7 (39:56):
Yeah, I know, Well I didn't know that was my cue. Sorry,
because I didn't know.
Speaker 5 (40:00):
I was just like, I didn't know if I didn't
know there was a cue.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Can I say to that point when Tales of the
Jedi came out, Because as we all know, everything's so secretive.
If you're not in the know, if you're not the
one recording the lines, you don't know it. So when
Tales of the Jedi came out, I had no idea
that there was going to be baby Ahsoka. But that's
the beautiful thing about voiceover is that we can play
(40:25):
any age.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
So I was a little bummed that I didn't.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Get to voice baby Ahsoka because it totally could have
done it. So I think we all love our characters
so much that you know, we want to voice our
characters for the whole lifespan.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
We're gonna take a quick turn now because we're gonna
have got to jc's fact check.
Speaker 6 (40:50):
This is usually how we d episodes, but if.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
You're not everybody that's listening, I know we could talk
to Ashe for hours, and I wish we could. We're
going to have another episode next week where we could
spend a little extra time with Ashy Stein Sofi or not,
this is not the end of as She xdign and
least for the next couple of weeks. But one thing
I do want to mention too, because you're the first woman,
you know, to have a voice of a hero character
Star Wars animated series.
Speaker 6 (41:11):
That's huge.
Speaker 5 (41:12):
And also, if I'm not mistaken, and luckily the fact
check is coming up really soon, Ahsoka was created specifically
for animation, not unlike someone like Harley Quinn in the
Batman series, and then those names became just such a
mainstay in that chat so everything that it's just when
I think of that significance, and then the way you
carry that significance, it certainly doesn't go unnoticed by certainly
(41:35):
anybody here, but not anybody in the fandom or anywhere else.
So I want to just bring that up as well,
because and you carry with such grace, and it's very
admirable the way you do that.
Speaker 7 (41:43):
Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
I you know, I keep going back to it was
a very different time than you know, Clone Wars was,
you know, created before George Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney,
and you know, at that time, Clone Wars was the
only Star Wars. You know, there was there was rumors
(42:06):
that they were developing a live action show, but that
was it. We didn't know for sure if we were
ever going to get it. And you know, for George Lucas,
this was his way to continue to tell the story
that he hadn't told yet. But you know, there was
(42:26):
no plans at the time of all these other movies
and live action series and so so, yeah, Ahsoka was
created just for animation, just in Star Wars, the Clone Wars,
and so it's it's truly incredible to see what's happened today,
(42:47):
you know, and now's she has her own live action series,
and you know, as with all the Rebels characters, to
see how far these characters have come that originated an animation,
just like has Read, just like Sabin, just like Haara,
and it's it's truly amazing.
Speaker 7 (43:05):
But it was a different time back then.
Speaker 6 (43:07):
Thank you for that. Thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
And now everybody, it's time for I believe everybody's favorite
part of the show. I think it's gonna be part
of your favorite part of the show too, Ashley back
check time with a god, j C.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
What have we got? All right?
Speaker 9 (43:20):
I don't have a lot of stuff today. I'm going
to revisit Fulkrum just very quickly, because Tea through the
question out there. There are multiple Fulcrums at the same time,
because we learn at some point in some expanded universe
thing that and Or was a folkrum, and and Or
(43:40):
would have been Fulkrum at the same time that Ahsoka
was Fulcrum. Sick o wowass a little bit more background.
We talked about this a little bit in episode or
two ago. The Ahsoka novel talks about the circumstances under
(44:00):
which Ahsoka creates the folkrum name which the character of
Ahsoka when she after Order sixty six and leaves the
Jedi order Fulkrim apparently is bail Oregana's network of recruiting network,
so she took over that bail Organa recruiting network. We
(44:24):
also talked about the inspiration for the title. Again this
isn't like in the show necessarily, but was like filled
in with backstory. Was it was a subspace frequency that
Anakin used to talk to Yularen and Obi Wan and Ahsoka,
So that was filled in in some media at some point,
(44:46):
and then they talk about it again in Rebel season three,
the Antilles Extraction, it is revealed that there are is
a title used by multiple agents. Ashley, you mentioned D
twenty three just to fill in the background for anybody
who doesn't know what D twenty three is. It's like
a comic con for Disney fans. And then you guys
talked a lot about playing up in age or back
(45:10):
in age from where you actually were and having your
age caught up catch up to you, which Ashley I
thought was really cool because the first person in Star
Wars that had that happened was Ian McDermott playing the Emperor,
which he was thirty seven or thirty eight years old
when he returned when he filmed Return of the Jedi,
and the Emperor was eighty eight years old in Return
(45:33):
of the Jedi.
Speaker 8 (45:34):
Then fast forward.
Speaker 9 (45:36):
When he was filming The Phantom Menace, he was around
probably fifty two fifty three years old if they filmed
it a couple years before it came out, and the
Emperor was or Palpatine was fifty two years old in
in The Phantom Menace as a character. So you talked
about carrying the lightsaber. You were handed the lightsaber from Palpatine,
(46:01):
which is kind of fitting since he ended the Jedi
and you are no Jedi.
Speaker 4 (46:05):
Then I fully take back I fully take back the
on screen. That's the biggest difference of age I've ever heard.
Speaker 9 (46:12):
Well, he had prosthetics on though, like he was playing older.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
Right.
Speaker 8 (46:16):
Yeah, that's cool though, that's all I got for today.
Speaker 7 (46:20):
I loved it amazing.
Speaker 5 (46:22):
Oh, never disappoint you. It's like it's what we look
forward to. It's like it's like our uh on a
positive reinforcement that maybe we did a good job on
the podcast that we get to earn the fact check
from you.
Speaker 6 (46:31):
JC. It's always appreciated.
Speaker 3 (46:33):
It's the book ends though, John it's the it's the
recap and the I mean, I feel like the three
of us could get the top and it's JC at
the end, and that's that's really where we where we
got him.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
I think agree to disagree or just we're all in
tandem and essential pieces of the puzzle.
Speaker 6 (46:53):
How about that?
Speaker 7 (46:54):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 5 (46:56):
We're all the favorites here, So thank everybody for listening.
Thank you actually rejoined us, and thank you for being
willing to come back for next week's episodes so we
can spend a little extra time with you. So everybody
fearing out, We're going to spend a little extra time
with Ashley X time on next week's episode. But until then,
please keep on subscribing, keep on rating, keep on leaving
the nice comments, and remember you can write to us
Potter Rebelling Podcast at gmail dot com. We love hearing
(47:17):
from you, we love seeing the fan art, we love
hearing your stories. It really doesn't mean a lot to us,
and we will be doing another Q and a bonus
episode at some point, so don't stop the writing. But
until then, as a channel, Earah Taylor get us out
of here.
Speaker 8 (47:31):
Cue the music.
Speaker 5 (47:36):
Potter Rebellion is producing partnership with iHeart Podcasts, Producing hosted
by Vanessa Marshall, Tia Sirkar, Taylor Gray, and John Lee
Brody Executive producer and in house Star Wars guru slash
fact checker J C. Reifenberg. Our music was composed by
Mikey Flash. Our cover art was created by Neil Fraser
of Neil Fraser Designs. Special thanks to Hally Free and
Aaron Kaufman over at iHeart, Evan Krasco or a Willie
(47:57):
Morrison devor Tresy Canobio, George Luca Ks for creating this
universe we love so much.
Speaker 6 (48:02):
And of course all of our amazing listeners.
Speaker 5 (48:04):
Follow us on Instagram at Potter Rebellion and email us
at Potter Rebellion Podcasts at gmail dot com
Well, that moment of Ahsoka walking away from the Jedi
Order gave him the strength to walk away from something
that was a very toxic situation, and how it saved
his life. And it was that moment when I realized,
oh my gosh, this is way deeper and more meaningful
(00:21):
than anything that I ever could have imagined.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Hey, everybody, this is Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Harrison Doula,
Specter number two. Here we are at the Pod of Rebellion,
and today I am joined by Hi.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
I'm tsur Car, voice of Sabine Wren Spectr five.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
And with me we have what's up Taylor Gray as
for Bridger Specter six, and we also have.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Hi, I'm john Ley Brody, your nonspector Buffull on Moderator,
and today we're going over Season one, episode fifteen, Fire
across the Galaxy.
Speaker 6 (01:03):
But that's not all.
Speaker 5 (01:04):
We also have a very special guest joining us today
for this recap, someone who's been a part of the
Star Wars universe for almost two decades, and we've also
been lucky enough to be a part of her universe
as well. Not only the voice of an important Rebel
Alliance leader, she's also a mind leader in real life
to an incredible work in the field and mental health awareness.
It's a great pleasure and honor to welcome with the
first of hopefully many many many appearances on the Pot
(01:25):
of Rebellion, the first woman. The voice is central heroic
character in a Star Wars animated series, the voice of Ahsokatano,
the incredible and very fashionable Ashley x Stein.
Speaker 6 (01:36):
Welcome.
Speaker 7 (01:38):
Thank you so much. Oh my gosh, I'm humbled by
the introduction.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
What a kind introduction, and I guess I should say
this is fulcrum checking in.
Speaker 6 (01:48):
To be here.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
Well, thank you for joining us, Ashley, And we couldn't
anything less than a red carpet roll out for you
to join us, for covering the season finale and getting
to this point of the podcast and this point in
the Star Wars Rebels. It just we couldn't do anything
lest it would be uncivilized if we didn't do that.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Well, I just think it's so amazing what y'all are doing.
Star Wars Rebels is so beloved and it's I tell
people some of my favorite Ahsoka moments of.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
All are in Star Wars Rebels, and so I've.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
Just been having fun listening to you all, and I'm
honored to enter the pod.
Speaker 7 (02:24):
We're thrilled to have you.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 7 (02:27):
Thank you well.
Speaker 5 (02:28):
Excellent, excellent. I love the vibes, and we're going to
get into this episode. And usually what I do, Ashley,
is I do a little recap. Instead of us going
beat by bee for an entire episode, I got a
little recap and I try to make it a little
fun and I'm honored to be doing this.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
In front of you.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
A little nervous actually, because it's like, you know, we
got we got some you know, I'm surrounded by royalty
each week in the Star Wars universe, but then when
we have special guests, like oh another sense of urgency.
Speaker 7 (02:52):
So oh my gosh, don't be nervous. Sorry, nerves are good.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
It's just there's an old saying with the up butterflies
in your stomach, just get them flying in the same
direction and then you're gonna be cat. So that's what
I'm going to try to tap into right now. So
here comes the recap for season one, episode fifteen, Fire
Across the Galaxy. Original air date March second, twenty fifteen.
Speaker 6 (03:11):
Here we go.
Speaker 5 (03:11):
The episode begins with the being executing perfect ten gymnastics
like these shelled like she's Nadiyakominici at the nineteen seventy
six Olympics, while actively roasting the poor buckeheads guarding the
Imperial base in a way that would make Jeff Frost proud.
It's the perfect version as Ezra and Zeb stealing Imperial ship.
And then, like Nick Casion the year two thousand, the
dynamic trio is gone in sixty seconds as the base
explodes like a Michael Bay movie. With the stolen Imperial
(03:33):
Transport now in their possession, the covert mission to rescue
Canaan is fully underway with the added ingredient of stolen
tie fighter that Ezra and Zeb stole a while back. Meanwhile,
Canaan remained solid despite the tortuous efforts of the inquisitor,
who's talking more trash than Larry Bird in the eighties.
But that's all interrupted once the Ghost crew cuts the
power and infiltrates the ship. And now this is where
the fund truly begins. From out running stormtroopers that as
(03:55):
arare climbing through the events like as Jean mcclan and Nakotomi
Plaza to the epic light suber battle between the Inquisitor
and Knanae, a moment where Canaan doesn't just fight, he
lets go of his limitations and fear, as if he
somehow was able to read Michael Allen Singer's book The
Untitled Soul. While in Imperial Captivity, the dual ends with
Canaan as the victor and with the Inquisitor taking a
hot plunge in the star Destory react to Chord. However,
when the group makes their escape, they're chaos. Troid Chopper
(04:17):
is nowhere to be found, and they're ambushed by Tie fighters,
And just when it seems like they're way too outnumbered,
and Ezra shares a sentiment similar to the orchestra on
the Titanic. How from hyperspace comes Chopper, with the fleet
ready to clean house like their Danny Tanner. Courtesy of
the Rebel Alliance and the mysterious Fulcrum, we then at
last get the ghost full Ghost family reunion and our
vomcom worthy moment between Hara and Canaan. That's dare I
(04:38):
say all that? But it doesn't end there. The Ghost
crew learns via Senda Organa, who looks a lot like
the guy from nypd Blue.
Speaker 6 (04:45):
Or is it the guy from Miss Congeniali.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
You can never tell these days that they are part
of a much bigger movement, given them all confirmation that
they're not truly alone.
Speaker 6 (04:53):
But that's not all.
Speaker 5 (04:55):
In a truly epic mic drop moment, we get a
reveal that Fulcrum is none other then the double biling
lightsaber fighting cooler than the other side of the pillow,
and the deep style pull of a hawth a soda katano,
a moment that no doubt left Rebels viewers more surprised
than Super Bowl viewers than twenty thirteen when Destiny's child
showed up at halftime If you Know you Know, and
with the return of the watch one known as Ahsoka
and an added feeling of hope on the other side
(05:16):
of the galaxy, the man who once trained the Phantom
Padawan has his own Beyonce at halftime moment when he
reveals himself to be the Empire secret weapon that will
once overall take the spark out of this rebellion. And that,
my friends, is the recap for season one, episode fifteen,
Fire Across the Galaxy and a rap on Season one
of Star Wars.
Speaker 7 (05:34):
Rebels whoa Sean.
Speaker 8 (05:39):
Yeah, I mean it's a reference every half second.
Speaker 6 (05:43):
I had to bring the good side, to bring the
extra stuff.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
Today and it's the season finale, Ashley's here, Fulcrum's revealed.
We all know who it is, even though we all
kind of like kind of hope to knew who she was.
But we're here and there's your, uh, your first exposure
to our our recap style.
Speaker 7 (05:59):
Actually, that was impressive, most impressive.
Speaker 5 (06:03):
Oh, I'm going to just like pack it all up.
I'm going to close up. So usually we get our
initial thoughts on the episode. But since you're here and
I feel like people know you're on the podcast at
this point because it's in the title on Apple podcasts Ashy,
can you give us insight into at what point you
were approached by the powers that be for Star Wars
(06:26):
Rebels to be Fulcrum and how long you had to
keep this secret from people? And I would love insight
into that because we've gotten Vanessa, Ta and Taylor's perspective
of when they found out who knew when?
Speaker 6 (06:38):
But what was it like for you?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Oh my goodness, I knew pretty much once Star Wars
Rebels premiered because I remember having dinner with Dave and
the crew, and I think they were getting ready to
go to the series premiere of Star Wars Rebels, and
(07:02):
I already knew at that point, because I think I
had already recorded, and I remember saying, no, I'm not
going to go to the premiere because I don't want
to tip people off, like I don't want people to
think I have any association, because we really want to
keep it a surprise, and if I show up there,
they might think, like, Okay, she has something to do
with it. So I remember I knew, But there was
(07:25):
a moment in time where I found out that Disney
was making Star Wars Rebels and I didn't know yet
if Ahsoka was going to be a part of it,
and you know, I was so excited for more Star Wars.
But I do remember a bit of sadness because it
was just like it's almost like when you go through
(07:46):
a breakup and then you know the you know your
your boyfriend moves on without you, and you know you're
let's say it's amicable, and you're sad.
Speaker 7 (07:59):
You know you're happy for them, but then sad that
you know it's like they're moving on without you.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
So I Remember, there was a period of time of just,
you know, a little bit of sadness because it's like,
oh wow, there's this exciting new series, but I'm not
a part of it. So there was a lot of
excitement once I found out that Ahsoka was going to
come back.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Was it after this episode aired that Dave did the
Ahsoka Lives? Sure?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Okay, I gotta set the record straight here, because Dave
did not start Ahsoka Lives. I'm taking full credit for
this because I actually got myself in trouble by starting this.
So I did an interview with Jimmy Mac and Jason
from Rebel Force Radio, and they were telling me about
(08:47):
the whole Darth Vader Lives movement where you know, the
fans started something and it said Darth Vader lives.
Speaker 7 (08:55):
And so you know, this is when we didn't know
did ah Soca lived? Did she not?
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And so if we find out that Ahsoka lives, you
know we could we could start our own campaign. So
I kind of held on to that, and then the
second that Ahsoka walked down that ladder in the season finale,
I went to Twitter and I did hashtag Ahsoka lives. Well,
(09:25):
how I got myself in trouble was with the internets
because half the world had not seen the season finale yet,
so I totally spoiled it and everyone was so angry
with me. So it was like I divided the Internet.
Half the people they were so excited because they had
(09:46):
seen it and they were celebrating with me, and the
other half they were so angry with me that I
just spoiled it. But you know, we hold onto these
secrets for so long, and the second that she walked
on that ladder, I couldn't hold the secret any longer.
So there it was. I released it on Twitter, Ahsoka lives,
(10:06):
and eventually people got over it. They were just excited
that Ahsoka lives. But that's where the hashtag started and
then it you know, continued from there.
Speaker 8 (10:15):
That's amazing.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
What an issue of, like like time zones or was
had that episode just not aired on that date for
people in different places?
Speaker 7 (10:26):
It was an issue of time zones. So I don't remember.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I must have been on the East Coast because I,
you know, my homes in Florida it's on the East Coast,
so I must have watched it on the East Coast,
which meant I totally spoiled it for the West Coast,
and I think I actually issued an apology afterwards.
Speaker 7 (10:46):
Did you I'd have to go back.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
It's been so long, but I think I shoed an apology,
like I'm so sorry I owed this for you all,
but I was just so excited.
Speaker 7 (10:58):
I don't blame you. We were all so very excited.
Speaker 8 (11:02):
That was a time to you. I think it's partly
on fans.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
You can't go on Twitter right before a show that
you enjoy. I just know that with sports, like anytime
there's a good game on, I'm not going anywhere near
social media if I'm out and I've recorded it or
I'm getting back to watch it later, because I mean,
the Internet now we're all so connected people. I have
to not even look at text because buddies all texting.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
Yeah, and it sounds weird to say, but you know,
those were still early days of social media and and
you know, we were still figuring out the etiquette rules.
And now there's like so many etiquette rules that you know,
it's like, okay, I can't do that. But I didn't
even think about it, Like it was just my excitement
over it was like it was an override of my
(11:49):
thoughts and I just was so excited to celebrate with
the fans.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Well, I think that's just a testament to how you
feel about you know, Star Wars and Ahsoka and reprising
your role and I say you get a pass.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
It's been over a decade, but I still say you
get a pass. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
I was gonna say we talked. We've talked about on
the podcast. The Fulcrum name. That's one that we've always
been trying to figure out because ful Crome, like some
some words or names in Star Wars, you can't really
play them. I'm sure there is some etymology to it,
but Fulkrom, we're all familiar with that word of like
what it means? Did they did they ever talk to
(12:30):
you about that? Like it having any sort of purpose
for or is it just a fun title? Because I
know sometimes you ask them about a name, a character name,
and it's just like, oh is my dog's name?
Speaker 9 (12:42):
I mean?
Speaker 4 (12:42):
And then other times it has this very deep rooted,
deep seated meaning for this leverage point that held the
entire rebellion together.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
You know, I remember asking Dave about it, and again,
my memories are fussy because it's been so long, but
I think you know, I remember him saying, well, a
full Crum could be many different people, you know, it
could be many different people that were in hiding, and
this full Crumb happens to be Ah Soka if I'm
remembering that correctly. So so, yeah, I mean it, it didn't.
(13:21):
It doesn't have any special meaning to my knowledge. It's
not like it's one of Dave's pets or anything. But
but yeah, and you're right, there's there's many of those.
Speaker 7 (13:32):
I remember in.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
Clone Wars, I voiced the droid K two B four
and it was a purple and gold droid and that
was actually because somebody on the crew was a really
big Kobe Bryant and that droid was named after Kobe Bryant.
And so so yeah, there's a lot of fun Easter
(13:56):
eggs like that. But full crim I believe, was just
like literally really the name that anyone could have been Fulcrum,
and that Fulcrum happened to be Ah Soska.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I have a question, and this might be a JC question,
does that mean so we we actually talked about this
a couple episodes ago or a few episodes ago, about
Fulcrum and that there could be more than one, but
I don't remember if we discussed is there only one
full crumb at a time? Like fulcrum can be adopted
by There can be a fulcrum and then there another
(14:29):
person can assume that uh code name. But are there
many fulcrums existing at the same time in different places
doing similar work or is there just well full crumb
at a time?
Speaker 7 (14:41):
Is that a JC?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Is that?
Speaker 6 (14:43):
Okay?
Speaker 8 (14:47):
I just don't know.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
But it's like you know, the Aga con there's only
one at a time, but there are many, you know,
in succession.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
I don't know why he chose, but I I like
that pool. I mean is like I mean, I think
of like the sea Saw. It's like the tipping point.
So that's essentially what Ahsoka was. And when she shows up,
it's the literal manifestation of hope for this rebel alliance,
because like, this person that's been helping isn't just this
voice on the other end. She's actually a real person
and no, or it's almost like I know, I'm going
(15:17):
to get DC fans mad at me whatever, like and Batman,
he's like, well, Batman is a symbol. It's not necessarily
who's under the mask. It's like the symbol of what
Batman stands for is what the message that you want
to put out there, And that's essentially what I get
out of Fulcrum. One thing I wanted to bring back
to something Vanessa. You brought this up like way, like
a few episodes ago that we did. How you knew
(15:39):
before I believe you knew before everyone else who Folkrim
was because Hara knew. So therefore you knew. And I
don't know how much contact contact any y'all had with
each other during this process, but I have to imagine
the trying to tiptoe around these things must have been
very tricky. While while you know during that during that time.
Speaker 7 (15:58):
Well, I'm not sure that it was sort of.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Private knowledge that yes, only the character of Heron knew,
but the Mega Clone Wars fan Vanessa who worships Snips
on a daily basis when I heard that, I mean,
I don't know, because Tea and Taylor sort of came
brand new to much of this. For me, it was
(16:23):
like the most pivotal fact on Earth. And I'll never
forget the day that I met you. I don't know
if you remember my ugly crying. I do remember, I do.
I thank you so deeply from the bottom of my
heart for all your work and your heart and soul
that you brought. Oh, just some of the best moments
(16:46):
in animation that are just ever etched on my heart
that I can't still cannot thank you enough for. But
I was so touched the day that you came in
to record, and I'm not sure. I think it might
have been for you know, some of your full kromblines
earlier before the reveal, and you you brought us sweatshirts
from her universe, which was like the most kind, incredible thing.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
To have done.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I mean, we were so honored to have you, and
you know, to be gifted on top of that was
like I was losing my mind. But so I'm not
sure if it was fangirl Vanessa Marshall freaking out because
I knew what that meant, or I don't. I don't
(17:32):
remember Dave's warning swearing me to secrecy, but I'm not
sure that anyone else understood how we will break the
Internet with the finale.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
I was well aware.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So I do remember this moment because Dave told me
ahead of time. He told me he said, Hey, there's
this girl named Vanessa.
Speaker 7 (17:57):
You're gonna be.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
You know, she's a really big fan. She's probably gonna cry.
Oh yeah, he totally said that, and so I think
it was more from what I remember, just you as Vanessa,
and he had told you because he knew that you
were a fan. But I have to tell you, I
was so blown away. Because we need to go back
(18:22):
in time to this moment. Keep in mind that it
really wasn't until I feel like twenty twenty that Ahsoka
kind of became as popular as she is today. She
was still this character that relatively, you know, globally, Star
(18:47):
Wars fans had never heard of. You know, I remember
there was an article that my friend Sarah wrote for
a major news site and she said, let me tell
you about one of the most popular Star Wars characters
that no one's ever heard of, And that was like
the best way to describe a Sosoka, because you know,
I had been voicing Ahsoka since two thousand and eight,
(19:11):
and I remember I would tell people, you know, oh,
I'm the voice of a Star Wars character, and they'd
get so excited. They'd say, oh who, and I'd say, well,
her name's Ahsoka Tano and then everyone would look at
me like huh.
Speaker 7 (19:24):
You know, nobody had ever heard.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Of Ahsoka Tano, and so I wasn't used to people
knowing who I was. Like it was this niche of
the universe, and the niche of the universe that loved
Clone Wars loved it, and they knew who I was.
They knew who Ahsoka was, and they loved her. But
it was still it wasn't like mainstream. So to have
(19:47):
someone that not only knew who I was, but then
was such a huge fan that it brought you to tears, Like,
I was so blown away and humbled by it.
Speaker 7 (19:57):
I was shocked. Here's the thing to call.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
I grew up in the industry. My mom was on television,
My dad was a news reporter. He won Emmy's I
gave zero. That is not currency for me in general,
but as a storyteller, as a person who believes that
there is sacred healing to be found in the much
(20:20):
needed portal of entertainment for all of us to come
together as a collective and heal and grow as a culture,
this was like an archaeological reverence. This was not like
I'm serious, Like, so, just so you understand, there's fangirl
fan girling and then there's like astral projection.
Speaker 10 (20:42):
Metaphysical bowing to no, to you and to the entire
team who when you left the Jedi Order and that
screen went black and for the first time in all
of Clone Wars, there was no need music.
Speaker 7 (21:02):
That moment is etched in everyone's hearts.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
It's not just mine, and it's not like fangirl, Oh
my god, teen tiger beat eeah, like this is. I
cried because that moment taught me something that it's important
to stand up for what you believe in. It matters
that we all make a difference. That was a political statement,
a socio economic like it was. It was incredible and
(21:28):
it's not I mean, it's funny to me that Dave
said that I would cry like a fangirl or whatever
it is that, but it's more than that, and it
was really just thank you for deeply touching so many
human beings to awaken something and then that they didn't
know they had.
Speaker 7 (21:43):
That it matters to stand up for what's right.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
So I just want to qualify that I've met Jodie
Foster and I've been like, hey, I've met a lot
of very famous people in my.
Speaker 7 (21:55):
Life, and that's that's not what it's about.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
It's about the art full moment that was made in
excellent storytelling For me, in the span of the Star
Wars saga, one of the greatest stories ever told. That
moment is important and I thanked you for that.
Speaker 7 (22:13):
So just to qualify, but that's hilarious. That did warn
do that. I didn't know he knew me.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
I mean, I think he probably thinks I'm coming from
sort of a shallow standpoint, but from like truly that.
Speaker 7 (22:27):
That was very, very very special.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
No, he doesn't think that at all, but I think
and thank you for saying that, and I very much
see that now. But it was you have to understand
our mindset at the time. So just to even go
back there, keep in mind, we thought that we were
going to make at least eight seasons of Clone Wars.
(22:54):
So we were completely blindsided by the fact that Disney
bought Star Wars, as was everyone. I mean I think
literally five people knew. So it sent shockwaves through the
universe that Disney bought Star Wars.
Speaker 7 (23:11):
But then to have the Clone.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Wars canceled, it was just like the rug was pulled
out from under us, and we were devastated. We didn't
get that moment to have that final episode. We didn't
get to have that you know moment where we knew
it was the last record where we could sign each
other's scripts and have a good cry. We just we
(23:34):
went in to record an episode. We thought we were
coming back for another season, and then that other season
never happened, and so I think we were kind of
stuck in our own sadness that we didn't realize how
impactful that final moment that the season five finale was
(23:54):
going to be for people. And so it was until
And I can share this story because I've since you know,
gotten to know this fan. His name is Jacob, and
I've asked his permission to share this story. But you know,
I think Star Wars Rebels had come out at this point.
And I was at D twenty three and or D
(24:17):
twenty three Expo, and I was about to leave the
floor of the expo floor and I got a call
from my friend Thomas and he said, hey, Ashley, are
you still here? And I was like, yeah, I'm about
to leave, and he said don't leave. He said, please
run over to the food court. There's someone I want
you to meet. And I ran to the food court
(24:39):
and I'm like, well, this must be really important if
Thomas is asking me to run over there. And all
of a sudden, there's this gentleman who I now know
is this is this wonderful fan named Jacob, And all
I remember is him just giving me the biggest, like
biggest bear hug, and he wrapped his arms around me,
(25:00):
and he just started crying. And we stood there and
here I am with this perfect stranger, and we stood
there embraced for what felt like, you know, five minutes,
and he just cried. He cried on my shoulder, and
and you know, I wasn't it was such a beautiful thing.
Speaker 7 (25:21):
You know, I wasn't scared of it.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
I was so touched at the moment of like, oh wow,
what is happening here? And then we pulled apart and
he shared with me how Ahsoka saved his life, and
how that moment of Ahsoka walking away from the Jedi
Order gave him the strength to walk away from something
(25:42):
that was a very toxic situation, and how it saved
his life. And it was that moment when I realized,
oh my gosh, this is way deeper and more meaningful
than anything that I ever could have imagined and how
(26:03):
Ahsoka having the strength to walk away from the Jedi
order transcended the story, transcended the screen and is now
in people's lives and gave someone the strength to literally.
Speaker 7 (26:18):
Save his life.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
And so so yeah, that's when I mean, Ahsoka was
always more than just a part to me.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
But it was that moment where I.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Was like, whoa, Okay, like this is this is a
once in a lifetime role for me, and I will
dedicate my life to this. And so so yes, Vanessa,
I very much know how much that meant to you.
But you have to keep in mind, at that moment
in time, I was kind of so unaware of what
(26:55):
had happened, that Ahsoka had become more than a character,
that she had taken up a place in people's hearts,
and that she was now changing and saving lives and
so so yeah, I was just so surprised of like,
whoa you know of Ahsoka?
Speaker 6 (27:12):
Huh?
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Yeah, well your story perfectly illustrates why I was so
honored to finally meet you. And you know, then we
went on our jolly professional ways and told our stories
together and this and that, but just for one moment,
I needed to honor what you gave of yourself. So
thank you for me, for Jacob, for everybody, thank you
(27:34):
for that beautiful story.
Speaker 5 (27:36):
Thank you so much for sharing that Ashley, and it
brings up, I think an interesting point. And you are
so incredible in the mental health awareness space. I watch
your Mental health Mondays every single Monday, and it's like
a great reset for the week and start to the week.
And what you bring up is something really I think
important to bring up. And I don't know if it's talked
about it enough, and I know the four of you
had to deal with it in some way, But stories
like that with Jacob, which is a beautiful story, but
(27:56):
i'd imagine you get, especially now with this resurgence of
Clone Wars, Rebel everything, You're going to get a lot
of people going you're a silka to me, like they
conflate you with Ahsoka, and you seem to find this
way to hold space for that fan love but not
lose sight of who Ashley is. So can you touch
on that a little bit because I feel like that's
(28:16):
something that's not talked about enough with public figures like yourself.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Well, I think as actors we have a choice, and
a lot of actors or anyone like athletes, you know,
they come out and say, well, I don't want to
be a role model. That's not what I want to be.
But to me, if you're lucky, you are cast or
(28:44):
have the opportunity to.
Speaker 7 (28:47):
Play a character that is more than a role.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
And some actors can go their entire career and never
get to play a role that is like this, that
transcends the screen.
Speaker 7 (29:03):
These roles are truly once in a lifetime.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
And I think in all of our cases, in many ways,
we were cast to be ourselves. Like Ezra is very
much Taylor, Tia is very much Sabine, Vanessa is very
much Harah. I was cast as Ahsoka to literally be myself.
They ask me, we don't we didn't know what we
(29:29):
wanted for Ahsoka. So literally bring your own personality to Ahsoka.
We want Ahsoka to be you. And it's definitely the
case with Vanessa, Tea and Taylor. So naturally our characters
our us, and we are our characters. And I think
what happened over time with me is even though I
(29:50):
brought my own personality to Ahsoka, as I got to
know Ahsoka, I'm like, wait a minute, I want to
be Ahsoka. I want to be a real life version
of her because I see that this is more than
just a part, that this is a character that if
(30:11):
I choose to accept the mission, I can literally.
Speaker 7 (30:19):
Be a reflection of her and help change lives. And
what an incredible thing.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
And to me, I just view it as you know,
talking about Star Wars as a whole, We're just continuing
to carry the torch, or I guess carry the lightsaber.
Speaker 7 (30:38):
It's a responsibility.
Speaker 8 (30:40):
You know.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Star Wars has been around for almost fifty years and
it's going to be around for another fifty We are
just the people currently carrying the lightsaber.
Speaker 7 (30:53):
It's not mine, it's not ours.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
That's why I'm always careful to say I'm one part
of Team Tano, because I was never Ahsokatano. You know,
Dave was never Ahsokatano. We're just two of the people
of a giant team of people that it takes to
bring Ahsoka to life, and so it takes a lot
(31:18):
of people to bring Star Wars to life. And so
we're just the current current representatives that are continuing to
carry the Lightsaber into the next generation, which hopefully will
continue generations to come. So for me, It's really important
because I view it as almost kind of it comes
(31:40):
with the job to you know, it's part of it.
It's part of the territory to be a representative, to
carry the torch, to pass on the force, and so
I want to do that. I've accepted the mission because
I feel like I won the lottery.
Speaker 7 (31:58):
But with winning the law.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Comes responsibility, and so I want that responsibility and I
want to continue to pay it forward.
Speaker 5 (32:07):
Beautifully said, very very voltaire of you to say all that,
to hold the weight of the responsibility and that power and.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
What you just said up.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Can I give credit though, to Vanessa, Tia and Taylor
because they also do that. They are everything that the
fans want their characters to be. And you all are
such beautiful representations of Star Wars, and I see your
interactions with the fans, and you know that deserves all
(32:39):
the flowers and all the applause.
Speaker 7 (32:42):
I just see how much the fans look up to you,
and I'm just.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Such a proud, hype friend of who you are and
how you continue to carry the torch.
Speaker 7 (32:50):
So just amazing job.
Speaker 8 (32:52):
Thanks Ashley, You're.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
A great role model that we were able to look
to and follow in your foots.
Speaker 7 (33:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
I do remember when I first came on and met y'all.
You know, it was weird for me because I was
the snippy padawan on Clone Wars, like I was the
one learning, and then I came to Rebels and you
all were so new, as they would say, you're so green,
you're so fresh, and I had all of this knowledge
(33:24):
and all of a sudden, I'm like, WHOA, when did
I become the Jedi Knight of the ground, Like how
did I become the one with the knowledge. But I
do remember, even though Harrah's the Space Mom, I'm never
going to take that title, but I very much felt
like the space mom to the Ghost crew. And it's
just incredible to see how far you all have come.
(33:45):
And I just applaud the roles that you all play today,
your amazing representations of your characters, and for the Star
Wars family, that's very kind.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
Thank you, Thank you very kids.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
At Theeld the way and what your is very interesting
and something that actually stood out when Folk rum Flashahsoka
finally makes her her debut. It's really like I fixated
on your voice this episode because I watched Clone Wars
from the beginning and you just touched on the fact that,
and I remember reading this in interview years ago, how
you were cast more so your personality and what you
(34:19):
were bringing. The sparky brought naturally into the booth. But
when we meet Ahsoka, she's like this fourteen year old, spunky,
eager padawan like you just mentioned the snippy padawan. But
once she shows up mb Rebel, she's this very calm, mature,
seasoned version of herself. And I was just curious if
you were consciously thinking about that transformation and her voice
or was it something that just unfolded organically because you
(34:43):
were having your own personal growth and those two things
came together. That's the thing that really stood out to me,
And I'm wondering if you can give insight on that.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Well, it's so funny you bring that up, because it's both.
It's both. So first of all, my voice right now
is a little hoarse, if anyone's wondering, I just came
from a convention, and you know, after talking all weekend
and not getting much sleep, my voice is a little
horse So definitely sounds like Ahsoka's been in battle or something.
(35:13):
But so it was twofold, so I was cast as
Ahsoka when I was twenty five, but I was I
was young, and I was playing on television because keep
in mind, I was, you know, mostly a film and
television actress. Ahsoka was my first big voice over role,
and so at the time in film and television I
(35:35):
was I was playing a sixteen year old, So I
was playing a teenager, so I naturally sounded really really young.
But in between being cast as Ahsoka in two thousand
and six to when I started playing Soca and Rebels,
(35:57):
I had actually caught up with my actual age. So
I was the same age as Ahsoca in Rebels as
I was in real life. So for once, at the
beginning of every season, I would always discuss with Dave,
you know, how old is Ahsoka?
Speaker 7 (36:13):
And then where in my register do you want me
to be?
Speaker 1 (36:16):
And so we would play with, you know, the place
in my register where we wanted Ahsoka to sound, and
so for once.
Speaker 7 (36:24):
He was like, just be you, just literally be you be.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
You know your exact age, how do you sound today?
So on one hand, it was a conscious effort and
discussion of where we wanted her to be. But then
on the other hand, I was able to draw from
my real life, So I it was almost life imitates
art because I had been through a lot in my
(36:51):
life when you know, I started Rebels, So when I
was cast as Ahsoka in Clone Wars, full time actress
in LA and had a pretty successful career, and in
the middle of all that, I had gotten married and
my husband was playing baseball at the time, and his
(37:12):
career took him to Toronto.
Speaker 7 (37:14):
Well, that meant that I moved to Toronto with him.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Well, I couldn't get a work visa in Toronto, and
I also couldn't I couldn't be in LA as much.
Speaker 7 (37:25):
I had to be with him, and he had had.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
A bunch of injuries, and that meant that I needed
to be with him and go to doctor's appointments, which
also meant I couldn't be in LA and I couldn't
be actively auditioning. Well, all of my agents and managers
dropped me, so literally, I went from having a successful
career to nothing.
Speaker 7 (37:47):
And I'll never forget.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
My manager called me and she said, Ashley, if you're
not in LA, you're not auditioning. If you're not auditioning,
you're not working. If you're not working, you're not making us.
And if you're not making us money, You're no good
to us, and like that, I like lost everything and.
Speaker 7 (38:09):
I was devastated. It was literally like the Jedi Council.
It was like Ahsoca, all she ever knew was.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Being a Jedi and then you know, they dropped her. Essentially.
That was literally what happened to me. And so her
universe came from a place of devastation. Her universe. That's
when her universe started because I couldn't act, and so
I had to figure out what can I do that
(38:37):
I don't have to be in La. So you know,
I started her universe. But it wasn't easy. It was
really really hard and had a lot of setbacks, a
lot of failures. So I was pretty beat down when
I started voicing a Soca in Rebels. So I had
a lot of real life experience that I could pull from,
(39:00):
equal with the fact.
Speaker 7 (39:01):
That I was the same age as Ahska.
Speaker 8 (39:04):
I remember that. That was the conversations Tia.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
I don't know the age thing as much with like
other characters, but I remember that with Ezra, this thing
of like always younger because in no Other and no
O they're on screen, thing, can you really play that
different of an age, but in voiceover, sure, like Vanessa,
I'm sure you've played like you've probably played. I've seen
you do the baby right like you can. You can
(39:30):
go the entire spectrum of age. It is funny to
be like, Okay, well if I just changed my register
a little bit, now I'm fourteen, and then if I
go here now I'm thirty five.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
And I remember those conversations being very funny.
Speaker 5 (39:46):
I thought we were gonna get a baby demo. I
was like waiting for that's gonna be the social clip
that takes us viral.
Speaker 6 (39:54):
I haven't had that.
Speaker 7 (39:56):
Yeah, I know, Well I didn't know that was my cue. Sorry,
because I didn't know.
Speaker 5 (40:00):
I was just like, I didn't know if I didn't
know there was a cue.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Can I say to that point when Tales of the
Jedi came out, Because as we all know, everything's so secretive.
If you're not in the know, if you're not the
one recording the lines, you don't know it. So when
Tales of the Jedi came out, I had no idea
that there was going to be baby Ahsoka. But that's
the beautiful thing about voiceover is that we can play
(40:25):
any age.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
So I was a little bummed that I didn't.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
Get to voice baby Ahsoka because it totally could have
done it. So I think we all love our characters
so much that you know, we want to voice our
characters for the whole lifespan.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
We're gonna take a quick turn now because we're gonna
have got to jc's fact check.
Speaker 6 (40:50):
This is usually how we d episodes, but if.
Speaker 5 (40:52):
You're not everybody that's listening, I know we could talk
to Ashe for hours, and I wish we could. We're
going to have another episode next week where we could
spend a little extra time with Ashy Stein Sofi or not,
this is not the end of as She xdign and
least for the next couple of weeks. But one thing
I do want to mention too, because you're the first woman,
you know, to have a voice of a hero character
Star Wars animated series.
Speaker 6 (41:11):
That's huge.
Speaker 5 (41:12):
And also, if I'm not mistaken, and luckily the fact
check is coming up really soon, Ahsoka was created specifically
for animation, not unlike someone like Harley Quinn in the
Batman series, and then those names became just such a
mainstay in that chat so everything that it's just when
I think of that significance, and then the way you
carry that significance, it certainly doesn't go unnoticed by certainly
(41:35):
anybody here, but not anybody in the fandom or anywhere else.
So I want to just bring that up as well,
because and you carry with such grace, and it's very
admirable the way you do that.
Speaker 7 (41:43):
Thank you, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
I you know, I keep going back to it was
a very different time than you know, Clone Wars was,
you know, created before George Lucas sold Star Wars to Disney,
and you know, at that time, Clone Wars was the
only Star Wars. You know, there was there was rumors
(42:06):
that they were developing a live action show, but that
was it. We didn't know for sure if we were
ever going to get it. And you know, for George Lucas,
this was his way to continue to tell the story
that he hadn't told yet. But you know, there was
(42:26):
no plans at the time of all these other movies
and live action series and so so, yeah, Ahsoka was
created just for animation, just in Star Wars, the Clone Wars,
and so it's it's truly incredible to see what's happened today,
(42:47):
you know, and now's she has her own live action series,
and you know, as with all the Rebels characters, to
see how far these characters have come that originated an animation,
just like has Read, just like Sabin, just like Haara,
and it's it's truly amazing.
Speaker 7 (43:05):
But it was a different time back then.
Speaker 6 (43:07):
Thank you for that. Thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (43:09):
And now everybody, it's time for I believe everybody's favorite
part of the show. I think it's gonna be part
of your favorite part of the show too, Ashley back
check time with a god, j C.
Speaker 6 (43:18):
What have we got? All right?
Speaker 9 (43:20):
I don't have a lot of stuff today. I'm going
to revisit Fulkrum just very quickly, because Tea through the
question out there. There are multiple Fulcrums at the same time,
because we learn at some point in some expanded universe
thing that and Or was a folkrum, and and Or
(43:40):
would have been Fulkrum at the same time that Ahsoka
was Fulcrum. Sick o wowass a little bit more background.
We talked about this a little bit in episode or
two ago. The Ahsoka novel talks about the circumstances under
(44:00):
which Ahsoka creates the folkrum name which the character of
Ahsoka when she after Order sixty six and leaves the
Jedi order Fulkrim apparently is bail Oregana's network of recruiting network,
so she took over that bail Organa recruiting network. We
(44:24):
also talked about the inspiration for the title. Again this
isn't like in the show necessarily, but was like filled
in with backstory. Was it was a subspace frequency that
Anakin used to talk to Yularen and Obi Wan and Ahsoka,
So that was filled in in some media at some point,
(44:46):
and then they talk about it again in Rebel season three,
the Antilles Extraction, it is revealed that there are is
a title used by multiple agents. Ashley, you mentioned D
twenty three just to fill in the background for anybody
who doesn't know what D twenty three is. It's like
a comic con for Disney fans. And then you guys
talked a lot about playing up in age or back
(45:10):
in age from where you actually were and having your
age caught up catch up to you, which Ashley I
thought was really cool because the first person in Star
Wars that had that happened was Ian McDermott playing the Emperor,
which he was thirty seven or thirty eight years old
when he returned when he filmed Return of the Jedi,
and the Emperor was eighty eight years old in Return
(45:33):
of the Jedi.
Speaker 8 (45:34):
Then fast forward.
Speaker 9 (45:36):
When he was filming The Phantom Menace, he was around
probably fifty two fifty three years old if they filmed
it a couple years before it came out, and the
Emperor was or Palpatine was fifty two years old in
in The Phantom Menace as a character. So you talked
about carrying the lightsaber. You were handed the lightsaber from Palpatine,
(46:01):
which is kind of fitting since he ended the Jedi
and you are no Jedi.
Speaker 4 (46:05):
Then I fully take back I fully take back the
on screen. That's the biggest difference of age I've ever heard.
Speaker 9 (46:12):
Well, he had prosthetics on though, like he was playing older.
Speaker 3 (46:15):
Right.
Speaker 8 (46:16):
Yeah, that's cool though, that's all I got for today.
Speaker 7 (46:20):
I loved it amazing.
Speaker 5 (46:22):
Oh, never disappoint you. It's like it's what we look
forward to. It's like it's like our uh on a
positive reinforcement that maybe we did a good job on
the podcast that we get to earn the fact check
from you.
Speaker 6 (46:31):
JC. It's always appreciated.
Speaker 3 (46:33):
It's the book ends though, John it's the it's the
recap and the I mean, I feel like the three
of us could get the top and it's JC at
the end, and that's that's really where we where we
got him.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
I think agree to disagree or just we're all in
tandem and essential pieces of the puzzle.
Speaker 6 (46:53):
How about that?
Speaker 7 (46:54):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 5 (46:56):
We're all the favorites here, So thank everybody for listening.
Thank you actually rejoined us, and thank you for being
willing to come back for next week's episodes so we
can spend a little extra time with you. So everybody
fearing out, We're going to spend a little extra time
with Ashley X time on next week's episode. But until then,
please keep on subscribing, keep on rating, keep on leaving
the nice comments, and remember you can write to us
Potter Rebelling Podcast at gmail dot com. We love hearing
(47:17):
from you, we love seeing the fan art, we love
hearing your stories. It really doesn't mean a lot to us,
and we will be doing another Q and a bonus
episode at some point, so don't stop the writing. But
until then, as a channel, Earah Taylor get us out
of here.
Speaker 8 (47:31):
Cue the music.
Speaker 5 (47:36):
Potter Rebellion is producing partnership with iHeart Podcasts, Producing hosted
by Vanessa Marshall, Tia Sirkar, Taylor Gray, and John Lee
Brody Executive producer and in house Star Wars guru slash
fact checker J C. Reifenberg. Our music was composed by
Mikey Flash. Our cover art was created by Neil Fraser
of Neil Fraser Designs. Special thanks to Hally Free and
Aaron Kaufman over at iHeart, Evan Krasco or a Willie
(47:57):
Morrison devor Tresy Canobio, George Luca Ks for creating this
universe we love so much.
Speaker 6 (48:02):
And of course all of our amazing listeners.
Speaker 5 (48:04):
Follow us on Instagram at Potter Rebellion and email us
at Potter Rebellion Podcasts at gmail dot com
Hosts And Creators
Vanessa Marshall
Taylor Gray
Tiya Sircar
Jon Lee Brody
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