Even while filming Barbie—the movie in which Ariana Greenblatt, best known for her role as Sasha in Barbie, played the young Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars—she received training in using a lightsaber.
Even though Barbie is the role that has garnered most of her recognition, her cameo in Ahsoka is still a noteworthy and important leading role.
Ahsoka returns to her childhood self in this scene as she confronts Clone Wars illusions and reunites with her Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. Though it was only a moment, Greenblatt needed to be thoroughly trained for this scene.
Ariana Greenblatt credits Rosario Dawson for her training for Ahsoka
Ariana Greenblatt talked to Variety about her preparation for the role while looking forward to Ahsoka season 2.
She disclosed that she underwent covert training for two months while simultaneously filming Barbie. Notwithstanding the secrecy, she was appreciative of Rosario Dawson’s mentoring, which relieved some of the strain.
Greenblatt acknowledged Dawson’s help and direction throughout the process, calling the experience amazing and stressing how difficult the stunt training was.
Ahsoka’s Fighting Moves Were Simply Amazing
Because every character in Ahsoka had a different fighting style, which required a great deal of training, the fight choreography in those scenes was very complex.
One of the most important things was learning how to use lightsabers, and since the training was customized, actors couldn’t practice together. Consequently, during lightsaber training, interaction was limited as each actor had to independently perfect their style.
Given that both Greenblatt and Dawson portrayed the same character, their relationship was particularly noteworthy. Because of this special bond, Dawson was able to mentor Greenblatt with ease and establish a relationship that made working together easier.
Greenblatt and Dawson clicked immediately, even when Hayden Christensen was there because they had both played Ahsoka. This was evident even when Greenblatt was filming Barbie.
Instead of including fights just for the sake of action, every stunt in the show added to the story of the individual characters.
Certain aspects of the characters and their fighting styles were brought to light by Ahsoka’s unusual dual blades, which included a smaller lightsaber, Baylan’s use of a heavier blade, Sabine’s more conventional fighting style, and Ezra’s dependence on the Force.
The choreography was tailored to each unique fighting style, which added to the show’s uniqueness in the context of live-action Star Wars productions. Greenblatt spent a lot of time training for her few scenes in Ahsoka because of this.
More about Ariana Greenblatt
American actress Ariana Greenblatt rose to fame in the Disney Channel comedy series “Stuck in the Middle” from 2016 to 2018. She played Daphne in the show.
Additionally, she has appeared in movies like “In the Heights” (2021), “A Bad Moms Christmas” (2017), and “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018). She co-starred in the science fiction movie “65” in 2023. She also made appearances as Sasha in “Barbie” and as a young Ahsoka Tano in “Ahsoka.”
Greenblatt was born in New York on August 27, 2007, into a family of Broadway producers, including her father and paternal grandparents. She is descended from Puerto Ricans through her mother, but her father is Jewish.
As a young actress, Greenblatt debuted in 2016 and quickly gained recognition for her work in the Disney Channel sitcom “Stuck in the Middle” as Daphne, the youngest of the Diaz family. She made her movie debut in 2017’s “A Bad Moms Christmas” as Lori.
In the subsequent year, she played the youthful Gamora in “Avengers: Infinity War.” With roles in films including “In the Heights,” “The One and Only Ivan,” and “Love and Monsters,” Greenblatt kept adding credits to her resume.
