Star Wars: The Clone Wars stars Ashley Eckstein and Matt Lanter answered questions during a Fan Expo Chicago panel on Friday.
Both Eckstein and Lanter, who star as Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, have been in town this weekend to meet fans, pose for photos, and sign autographs. On Friday afternoon, both Snips and Skyguy reunited to discuss the animated series. They answered a wide range of questions during their panel including a question from yours truly. I couldn’t help but start off with a reference to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Hello there. My question is, what do you look for in a character when you’re reading a screenplay?
Matt Lanter: A character that I want to play? Is that what your question is?
When you get scripts for offers.
Matt Lanter: Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. I guess you just look for a character with a little bit of depth. Obviously, kind of the more you can kind of gather about that character, you can round that character out and understand them better. That’s kind of it. And then of course, this is a really broad answer, but how it plays into the story. I don’t really know without getting into detail. I think that’s sort of it.
Ashley Eckstein: Well, I’ll kind of answer this in a roundabout way. Prior to Ahsoka, Matt and I, we had pretty much only done live-action. I had always wanted to get into voiceover but I didn’t have any experience in it. I had mostly done film and mostly television, prior to Ahsoka. I had very much been typecast as the mean girl. I played Muffy in That’s So Raven. I played just on various things, Drake and Josh, and That 70s Show. I was always playing the mean cheerleader or something. I remember thinking like, man, I just wish I could play the good guy or a hero. Little did I know that Ahsoka would be right around the corner.
But I think for me, I’ve always liked to take chances with characters and make big choices. I once had a teacher that told me that I wasn’t funny, that I that I could only do dramatic characters, and that I could never do comedic characters, and I believed her. For the longest time, I didn’t think I could do it. It wasn’t until I actually moved to LA and I actually booked a comedic character that I realized like, Oh, hey, I’m pretty good at this. I can do this. I share this because if someone tells you that you can’t do something, don’t listen to them. Because I did and it took many years for me to undo that, for me to say, you know what, wow, she was wrong. I allowed somebody else to make a decision for me. Don’t let anyone tell you no, only you can tell yourself no. Sorry to go off on a tangent.
Matt Lanter: You’re giving very serious heartfelt answers and I’m thinking this is Anakin. He’s been told no by the council. He can’t have a life.
Ashley Eckstein: I know. Think of what would have happened if Anakin had honestly been (inaudible) that he had been told yes.
Matt Lanter: That he had been told that he’s funny. Things would have been much different.
Ashley Eckstein: He would have been a great dad.
Matt Lanter: Fantastic father and a great husband.
Ashley Eckstein: I know. This has now turned into a therapy session for (inaudible).
Thank you and may the force be with you.
Ashley Eckstein: Thank you, Danielle.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is streaming on Disney+. Fan Expo Chicago runs July 7-10, 2022 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.
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