Disclosure: Disney provided me with an expense paid trip to Los Angeles in exchange for my review of the events of the trip. No other compensation is given. As always, all opinions and experiences are my own. All images courtesy of Disney. #StarWarsRebels
Strong Females in Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars Rebels regular series episodes start tonight at 9PM ET/PT on Disney XD. We already have it set to record on our DVR, so there’s no chance of us missing any episodes! My boys have loved the series premiere Spark of Rebellion, and have been asking about when we will see new episodes for over a week. During my Disney press trip last month, I had the chance to interview the cast of Star Wars Rebels. Today I am sharing some fun things we learned from Tiya Sircar and Vanessa Marshall who voice Sabine and Hera on the show.
On recording the show all together
Tiya : It’s such a — I mean it’s — I —
Vanessa : I love it.
Tiya : — for me, it’s — yeah, it’s, it’s so — such a treat, because —
Vanessa : Oh, yeah.
Tiya : — well, you’ve done far more voiceovers than me.
Vanessa : Well, yeah, oftentimes in animation and animated series, they try to get the entire group together, but the previous Star Wars video games that I’ve done, I’ve been in a room by myself, on a quote unquote Jedi counsel talking about people — [OVERLAP]
Tiya : [LAUGHS] Me, too. No.
Vanessa : You know, I mean, luckily, I know enough about the different places and things in the Star Wars universe, but it’s so much easier to interact with people, you know. We all love Star Wars, but that collective energy in the room is something that I think viewers will feel. I think it’s a real advantage. And, like I said, the, the writing of the scripts is so great. It’s really not that hard to do.
Tiya : Right.
Vanessa : I feel like we don’t do much [CHUCKLES], you know.
Tiya : It doesn’t feel like work certainly for me.
Vanessa : No. I mean not that we don’t — yeah, I mean we — obviously, it’s a job and we do work very hard. We research and all that, but I think, working as a group, I think that is a part of why it bristles with so much love and energy. Yeah.
Tiya : And also I think, what’s really, uh, special — makes the experience so special, aside from the fact that you know, we — I think that like getting to actually act these scenes out in a room together — you know, not is it more enjoyable for us, but it infuses the scenes and hopefully makes for a better show. But aside from that, I think we really forge, you know, this, this, this family, you know, this Motley Crew of people. Like we have this Motley Crew of characters.
Vanessa : Exactly.
On their family like dynamics
Tiya : And so, we’ve like created this, this bond, as a, as a crew, you know, the, the five of us and, and also, you know, our guest stars and — but the five of us really have like kind of, embodied these you know, the same dynamics, familial dynamics as we have on this show. And so yeah, as, [CHUCKLES] Vanessa was saying, you know, she kind of is this maternal figure making sure I am not hungry — do I have — need a snack — am I cold; do I need to borrow her cardigan. I mean it’s the b– it’s just the best.
Vanessa : [CHUCKLES]
Tiya : And then, you know, like Taylor is the youngest, and so we’re always kind of, you know, giving him a hard time.
Vanessa : Yes.
Tiya : And he’s like okay, okay, I get it. And —
Vanessa : Yeah.
Tiya : –Freddy is like the big bro and making sure everything’s cool and under control. And —
Vanessa : Yeah.
Tiya : Steve is like the, the clown —
Vanessa : The prankster.
Tiya : — that’s like cracking us up —
Vanessa : He is hilarious.
Tiya : And —
Vanessa : Yeah.
Tiya : — making [CHUCKLES] crazy noises.
Vanessa : [LAUGHS] Yeah.
Tiya : At inappropriate times. So, it’s fun to like get to kind of be part of this, this, this, this crew that we’re actually getting to, you know — it, it — art imitates life, imitates art. Whatever. [CHUCKLES]
Vanessa : Yeah. Yeah. That — that’s, that’s fortunate that we all have, have sort of fallen into a groove that’s very similar to what we need to
On their favorite Star Wars character
Vanessa : Well, you know we both love Princess Leia, because she’s a strong female character, but I also don’t wanna forget Ahsoka from the —
Tiya : Sure.
Vanessa : Clone Wars
Tiya : Absolutely.
Vanessa : because Ashley Eckstein is so wonderful and she’s really a — she’s also a wonderful character that we watched grow from being a young padawan, you know, towards becoming a Jedi. B I think it’s the same principles. Women who are strong on so many levels that they’re really inspiring. So, I would say, overall, probably Princess Leia. Yeah.
Tiya : And I have a soft spot for Han Solo, but who doesn’t? I mean — [LAUGHS]
Vanessa : Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Tiya : But as inspiration, Leia. [CHUCKLES]
Vanessa : Yeah, exactly.
Tiya : [OVERLAP] For my own viewing pleasure, Han Solo. [LAUGHS]
Vanessa : You know, it’s really — it’s, it’s hard to choose. I mean —
Tiya : It’s true. There’s so many good ones.
Vanessa : Yeah, ’cause I, I sort of believe that I love Chewie, but I think that’s born on the fact that it was my first action figure that I got. But, you know, in terms of things that have really touched my heart, I would say Leia.
Strong Females in Star Wars Rebels
Vanessa : Well you know, Hera is the leader and, and while she is fierce, she’s a great fighter and a great pilot, she’s also very nurturing, and she sort of plays a maternal role within the crew. And I think she sets a really great example, and I does — I think she does a lot of mentoring to — Sabine. Now, I will also say parenthetically as a Star Wars fan, she is a Mandalorian. So I personally bow down to her character.
Tiya : But that’s Vanessa not [LAUGHS] —
Vanessa : Yeah.
Tiya : — Hera.
Vanessa : Right. Getting back to Hera. But I do think it’s really wonderful that Star Wars Rebels embodies two female characters that we all can aspire to act like them whether we’re adults or children or even little boys or little girls. I’ve said before that the empire universally oppresses all races and all gender to where it sort of neutralizes elements. These aren’t good women or good female characters. They’re all good people.
Tiya : Mm-hmm.
Vanessa : So that we’re not even thinking in terms of gender or class. We’re united towards doing the right thing. And while they are strong, female characters, it’s also kinda cool that there’s this different element that even transcends those distinctions.
Tiya : And not to get too, you know, well, social commentary on you, but — you know, there are, in my own personal opinion, there are,so many female personalities that [CHUCKLES], well, for better or worse, you know, there, there, there may be famous not for a specific skill or —
Vanessa : Yeah.
Tiya : — talent but just famous for the sake of being famous. And maybe not for the right reasons — if you know what I mean.
Vanessa : Yeah.
Tiya : So, which I think you do — because you’re all nodding. So, it’s — such an honor you know, and it makes me cringe, you know, I don’t have kids, but it makes me cringe to think like all little girls are like this is what they have to look up to and to aspire to be, and it’s worrisome for me. So, to me, it’s such an honor to get to play this female character who, you know, Sabine’s a teenager —
Vanessa : Right.
Tiya : — and yet she is so intelligent and so, like not even concerned about the superficial stuff whatsoever.
Vanessa : Right.
Tiya : She’s never taken a selfie in her life, you know. [LAUGHS]
Vanessa : No, exactly. Yeah.
Tiya : And if she knew what that was, she wouldn’t be interested. So I think it’s really — I think it’s amazing to get to play these two smart women. They are right there alongside the guys, beating up the bad guys. And you know, it’s just — I hope that, that young girls and young boys, I mean can, can —
Vanessa : Definitely.
Tiya : — can aspire to be like these characters, because they’re fighting for the greater good. They’re doing the right thing and they’re, and theyr’e just like really smart and savvy about it while they’re doing it. So, I hope that that’s like, you know, uh — I don’t know.– maybe might replace some, [CHUCKLES], Some other stereotypes out there.
Vanessa : Yeah. Yeah. And I think also that, that what we’re all driven by is hope. Once again in transcending gender that I hope that kids take that hope, that, that it’s important to have faith, to have morals, to have ethics, um, and, and adults could probably [CHUCKLES] learn from, from that as well. And some of those, those bigger human values that are not often embodied in, say, the people who are famous for things less than, you know, desirable. But it’s really cool. There are some very wonderful, delicious ideas, uh, that are also in– inspiring over all, you know. But I agree, definitely. These are really cool women, for younger girls to emulate.
Tiya : And they’re still fun, too. It’s not all about —
Vanessa : Yeah. They’re hilarious.
Tiya : — like, you know, how the moral like high ground and, you know, it’s not all like —
Vanessa : No.
Tiya : — like that stuff. It is fun and —
Vanessa : Yes.
Tiya : — there’s, there’s, you know, Sabine’s can be a little sassy and she has a little attitude, but —
Vanessa : Exactly.
Tiya : — meanwhile she’s also like fighting the empire. So [CHUCKLES] —
Vanessa : Yeah, it’s cool. Those things are sort of hidden beneath all the, the jokes and, and the high stakes.
Tiya : The banter.
Vanessa : Exactly.
Tiya : Yeah.
Vanessa : Yeah. It, it very much feels like the original trilogy. It has the same wit and, you know, get this walking carpet out of my way. You know, we talk to each other like that —
Don’t miss my interview with the Freddie Prinze Jr and Dave Filoni or the Star Wars Rebels Printable Activities. Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion is available to purchase everywhere starting tomorrow!
Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars Rebels, set five years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, tells the story of the Rebellion’s beginnings while the Empire spreads tyranny through the galaxy. The adventures focus on Ezra, a street-smart teenage boy who has joined a small band of rebels that engage in daring missions of sabotage and resistance against the Empire. Members of this rag-tag group of rebels include Kanan, a cowboy Jedi; Hera, an ace Twi’lek pilot; Sabine, a Mandalorian street artist who happens to be an explosives expert; Zeb, an agile fighter and the “muscle” of the group; and Chopper, the grumpy but good-hearted droid. Together this motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost face threatening villains, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.
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