As part of its “Illuminations: The Chancellor’s Arts & Culture Initiative” series, the UCI School of Education, hosted an event in the Crystal Cove Auditorium with Ashley Eckstein on Nov. 20. Eckstein is known for voicing Ahsoka Tano in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Star Wars Rebels,” and “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.”
The auditorium was full of Star Wars fans, including many students, faculty and staff. Attendees could receive an autographed poster from Eckstein while registering for the event. Many of them arrived early, eager to hear Eckstein discuss her career and connection to Ahsoka Tano.
Graduate student researcher in materials science and engineering Raquel Jaime said she has been a Star Wars fan for 10 years and was very excited for the event.
“[I want] to hear more about what she thinks about Star Wars and all the content that she’s been a part of,” Jaime told New University. “I’ve never heard her speak before live, so it’s really cool.”
Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Student Wellness and Health Promotion Mark Bustamante said he has been a Star Wars fan since he was six years old and appreciated the event’s connection to his work.
“I got [the invitation] through an email. I’m a huge Star Wars fan, so I said, ‘heck yeah,’ I’m going to that,” Bustamante told New University. “The presentation is on mindfulness and things like that; that aligns a lot with what I do at work. But honestly, I’m just a huge Ahsoka fan. So that was my big draw.”
Eckstein began by sharing how growing up in Orlando, Florida, sparked her early interest in acting and eventually pushed her to search for more opportunities in Los Angeles at the age of 19.
“I was 19, but I looked 13. And in acting, that was a huge benefit because they could hire me to play a kid, but I was legally an adult, so they could work me as many hours as they wanted,” Eckstein said. “It was my dream to be on the Disney Channel. So I actually hit the ground running and was fortunate to get cast almost right away.”
Eckstein’s first major role came on the Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven,” where she played Muffy in eight episodes. After the show, she spent four years auditioning for more than 400 voice-acting parts without landing any large roles.
“The first time I understood that there was a voice behind a character was ‘The Little Mermaid,’” Eckstein said. “When I realized like, ‘Oh, that’s not just this animated thing in my TV. That is an actress behind the scenes who’s doing the voice.’”
After four years without any luck, Eckstein finally got a call from her agent, who said that she had landed an audition for a new Star Wars show. She was originally supposed to audition for the role of Padmé Amidala, but after director Dave Filoni watched her perform, he decided Eckstein might fit a different role.
“They said there’s this brand new character that’s super top secret, and she’s 14 years old, and we think you might be right for her,” Eckstein said. “That’s how I actually read for Ahsoka.”
Ahsoka Tano has since become one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars franchise, which led to her eventual self-titled Disney+ series.
When Eckstein recorded the voiceovers as Ahsoka, she was told by Filoni to simply be herself. Essentially, Eckstein wasn’t acting: she was reading the lines through her own voice. When she asked Filoni why he chose her for the role, he highlighted her authenticity.
“He said, ‘Because you’re genuine.’ And he said, ‘Ahsoka is genuine,’” Eckstein said. “I think with Ahsoka, everything I do has to be genuine, meaning it has to be real. It has to be from the heart. It has to be rooted in kindness. And that’s the other lesson I learned a little later on.”
Before playing the role of Ahsoka, Eckstein never associated kindness with power. She was always told that she was “too kind” and to be more “tough.” After voicing Ahsoka for so long, Eckstein realized power can come in many forms.
“Ahsoka has changed my life,” Eckstein said. “I mean, literally I was cast to bring myself to Ahsoka, but now I’m sitting here today because Ahsoka has made me the person I am today.”
Outside of acting, Eckstein is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness. She serves on the National Advisory Council of the Kids Mental Health Foundation, which was established in 2018.
In 2022, she created a digital series on StarWarsKids.com called Star Wars Mindful Matters, which covers thoughtful approaches to mental wellness with a Star Wars theme. Eckstein credits Ahsoka’s character for inspiring her to spread awareness about mental health.
“[Ahsoka] is just a reminder that even if you don’t see it, light is always there,” Eckstein said.
When asked if she gets annoyed when people only remember her for the role of Ahsoka, Eckstein refuted the idea.
“If you only ever know me as Ahsoka, then to me that’s a success. I want to be associated with the character,” Eckstein said. “I will be trying to be a real-life Ahsoka until the day I die.”
Ennes Kahf is a Features Intern for the fall 2025 quarter. He can be reached at ekahf@uci.edu.
Edited by Avery Rosas and Joshua Gonzales