New Interview With Ray Stevenson, Shows His Excitement and Passion for ‘Ahsoka

SWNN Probe · May 26, 2023

Ray Stevenson, who plays one of the lead villains in the upcoming Ahsoka series on Disney Plus, passed away earlier this week. While we are still shaking from hearing the news, a new video interview has come out where we can clearly sense his passion for his character, the Star Wars galaxy, and his overall excitement to be working with Dave Filoni and the entire Lucasfilm team.

This interview was conducted with Entertainment Weekly during Star Wars Celebration, in early April. Other Ahsoka cast members present are Lars Mikkelsen (Thrawn), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), and Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth), though the segment EW revealed focuses primarily on Stevenson.

He kicks things off by just sharing his pure sense of awe and wonder about the entire production and all the detail that goes into it. Of course, after working for Marvel and HBO's Rome, among so many other projects, this shouldn't necessarily surprise him by now. And yet, he felt like a kid on set:

Ray Stevenson: 'I think it takes a good guy to play a good, bad guy - or girl. You know what I mean?'

Diana Lee Inosanto: 'Yeah'

Ray Stevenson: 'You're known as the nicest baddies until we gotta work. I had no idea what to expect. You're turning up and your held, I mean one of the things that was so overwhelming at first was I mean, the costumes are works of art. The set designs, you think, 'Who designed this?' and then you look at the set construction, 'Who constructed this?' The quality that is surrounding you in technical and creative talent is quite breathtaking, and you've got to summon it up from the balls of your feet, uhm, to stand your ground and you're given that confidence from Dave and John and from your fellow actors which is incredible.'
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Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka (Credit Disney/Lucasfilm)

At this point, we know very little about the character, and series writer-creator Dave Filoni already hinted at Celebration that most of his background is a spoiler. Stevenson also talked about this and how his character's motivations will remain a secret until it comes out:

'And it's such an untold journey with Baylan and Shin. And they kinda keep you second guessing - 'Are they? What is going on? What are they actually up to?' At first they appear this and then it develops into 'It could be this', 'What is it?', and then there's something else. So it's a very exciting role to play and he has a kind of inherent ability. It's like if you don't stand in his way, he's got no malicious attitude at all. But if you do you'll just be swept aside because there's something that's driving him. Mr Filoni and Favreau know. And hopefully it's going to be revealed throughout the telling. And just, I mean just breathtaking!'
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He obviously had a lot of fun with it, even when it came to playing around with lightsabers:

'And I must admit, the first time you turn the lightsaber on, you make the noise!' [Everyone laughs as Ray makes lightsaber sounds]

Everybody does that! You just can't help it! Everybody works at such a pitch and what I'm overwhelmed with overall is a humility of greatness. From the top all the way down from every department. The hours put in, the quality of work, and you can't wait to get back to set and see what's going to be revealed that day'.
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Ray Stevenson really enjoyed using the lightsaber (Credit: Entertainment Weekly)

He then added the following about his time wielding a lightsaber on set and his training with the stunt team:

'They train you for your character. And you turn up with the stunt team. It's awe-inspiring what they've developed as if by sequence because of what they've already worked out and thrown out and worked through. And you step up until you're a puddle on the ground. But then seeing it on the day come together and they're working out camera angles while we're actually rehearsing for fights. All of it is meshed and it's just you know, I stand there stoically going 'Hrmmmm' [makes a Baylan face] and then in comes the viper [makes a lot of shooting sounds]. And you're like 'That's awesome, that's great!'. And then Rosario 'Vhrrrooommmm' [makes another sound] and see the noise again [makes another weapon sound].'
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Ivanna Sakhno talks about Ray Stevenson's behind-the-scenes fun (Credit: Entertainment Weekly)

At this point, the rest of the cast chipped in to share some stories as well:

Ivanna Sakhno: 'Ray would, you would constantly make noises and I remember the first scene that we were filming um, you came up with a song for Shin. I mean I can't say too much about the scene itself but Ray would walk around and be like 'Who let the Shin out vhoom vhoom vhooom vhooom' [everyone erupts into laughter].

Ray Stevenson: 'Yeah the humour on set between us all.'

Diana Lee Inosanto: 'Yeah there's a lot of humour, yeah.'

Ray Stevenson: 'And then the magistrate comes up and it's almost like she doesn't walk... she glides.' [Makes a motion like gliding and Inosanto laughs.]

I can see where the power is. And then we first see Thrawn and kinda watching the entrance and you'd be like 'Now that's an entrance!' And that's what I thought until I saw today's trailer. And you go 'no, no, no - that's an entrance!' I love the way with Star Wars that they keep so much back as a gift back to the fans who turn up and made the effort to turn up because it's them. And we're a band of actors fortunate enough to work together and enjoy it and ah, give it to them on the day and it's going to keep giving to them as the series unravels'.
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The Ahsoka series is set to release on Disney Plus this August.

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