Ever wonder how actors land their dream roles? Well, Eman Esfandi's journey to becoming Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka is one for the books, and a truly inspiring tale of dedication and a bit of that special Star Wars magic!
The Journey to Becoming Ezra Bridger
First off, Ezra Bridger is no newbie! This Star Wars character started in Star Wars Rebels (way back in 2014). An orphan who becomes part of a rebel cell and ultimately finds himself on a Jedi path, facing big challenges. In Ahsoka, Ezra makes a much-awaited reappearance after being lost in action on Peridea. Esfandi, in a chat with Katee Sackoff on her podcast The Sackoff Show, shared a pretty incredible story of how it all happened for him!
An Unlikely Path
Here's the crazy part. Esfandi wasn't a huge Star Wars fan before this happened. He'd only seen a couple of movies, most notably Revenge of the Sith. Then he saw some online buzz about casting for this 'Space Aladdin' guy. Intrigued, he found out it was about Ezra Bridger, a character he knew next to nothing about. Then, he found art by Pandora Young - a concept image that was a picture showing a older version of Ezra, and something clicked! He thought it really did look like him! So naturally, that sparked something within.
A Bold Move
Esfandi did his research, dove into Rebels and found a strong connection. Inspired, he sent pictures to his managers, asking them to watch for Ezra casting calls. It seems that he got an impression, a strong instinct that may or may not be attributable to the Force, which urged him to move and grab this role by the horns! In just six months his gut was right!
- He got a call to audition.
- One self-tape audition, and BOOM, he got the part!
It was a total dream come true—the kind of role-securing that seems so elusive but just happened so unexpectedly for this young star!
Ezra's Legacy
Getting the part turned into a big success! The show wouldn't have felt as impactful! The casting proved that Esfandi not only embodied Ezra's adult self but also perfectly brought to life this incredibly complex character in live-action for all fans of Star Wars from past shows such as Rebels.
It turned into so much more! Esfandi has a real positive energy! Even before he landed the role, he showed it and fans can find lots of him online, even in conversations around Star Wars. His love of the character is remarkable.
Disney+'s Success Story
Bringing Ezra Bridger to Ahsoka really gave fans closure. Getting him from animation to live-action was amazing and done carefully! There was no half-measures!
What makes it work so well, Esfandi's acting made it a success. He's amazing as he really did seem to make his character as a part of Disney+'s biggest hits! For any fan, there is a truly excellent cast to remember, even getting viewers excited as Ezra continues his story with even more amazing plotlines yet to come!
