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The Star Wars franchise has expanded significantly beyond its original trilogy, including prequels, sequels, spin-off films, live-action series, and animated shows. Characters frequently transition between these mediums. Main film characters appear in animated series, and animated characters increasingly make the jump to live-action.
One notable aspect of these transitions is that the actors often change. For instance, Matt Lanter voiced Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series instead of Hayden Christensen from the prequels, and Rosario Dawson portrayed Ahsoka Tano in live-action instead of Ashley Eckstein, who voiced the character in animation.
However, there have been instances where actors have portrayed their characters in both animated and live-action Star Wars stories.
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Star Wars: 14 Actors That Have Played Their Characters
James Earl Jones – Darth Vader
Darth Vader is known for having one of the most iconic voices in movie history, thanks to the incredible work of James Earl Jones. Jones famously provided the voice for Vader throughout the original Star Wars trilogy and made a brief return in Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
In addition to the films, Jones also voiced Darth Vader in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, where the character, once known as Anakin Skywalker, had a significant encounter with his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. Although Jones’s voice can still be heard as Vader in recent shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi, he didn’t actually record his lines for that series. He has retired from the role of Vader but has an agreement with Lucasfilm that allows them to recreate his voice using digital masking and AI technology.
Katee Sackhoff – Bo-Katan Kryze
Katee Sackhoff has undeniably made a significant mark as the actress behind the character Bo-Katan Kryze in the Star Wars franchise. Bo-Katan’s journey began in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, extended to Star Wars Rebels, and later into two live-action seasons of The Mandalorian, with Sackhoff consistently portraying the character.
Throughout this extensive portrayal, Sackhoff remains the sole actor to bring Bo-Katan to life, solidifying her as an integral part of the Star Wars universe. Her performance in season three of The Mandalorian garnered widespread acclaim, making her a standout character. It’s highly likely that we’ll see more of Bo-Katan in future projects like the Ahsoka series or Dave Filoni’s upcoming Mandoverse movie. Regardless of where she appears next, fans can trust that Sackhoff will continue to do justice to the character as she has done for years.
Forest Whitaker – Saw Gerrera
Saw Gerrera, a character from the Star Wars universe, has gained prominence over the past decade. He first showed up in the fifth season of the animated series “The Clone Wars” in 2012, portrayed by Andrew Kishino in a relatively minor role that spanned just three episodes. However, his next appearance was in live-action in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” where Forest Whitaker took on the character. Soon after, Saw Gerrera returned to animation in the third season of “Rebels,” with Forest Whitaker providing his voice once again. Since then, Saw Gerrera has made appearances in various Star Wars projects, including the animated series “The Bad Batch,” the live-action show “Andor,” and the video game “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.” While Andrew Kishino voiced the character in “The Bad Batch,” Forest Whitaker reprised the role in both “Andor” and “Jedi: Fallen Order.”
Corey Burton – Cad Bane
It’s great to hear that Corey Burton continued to voice Cad Bane in the Disney+ animated series “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” and made a live-action appearance in “The Book of Boba Fett.” Corey Burton has indeed been a prominent voice actor in the Star Wars franchise, providing his talent to several iconic characters beyond Cad Bane, including Count Dooku and Ziro the Hutt, as you mentioned.
While the physical portrayal of Cad Bane in “The Book of Boba Fett” was handled by a stunt performer, it’s important to note that Corey Burton’s contribution to the character’s voice is crucial in maintaining the consistency and authenticity of the character across different mediums. His distinctive and gravelly voice has made Cad Bane a memorable and intimidating figure in the Star Wars universe.
Oscar Isaac – Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is a well-known character in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, portrayed by Oscar Isaac. He quickly gained popularity among fans, and due to Isaac’s outstanding performance, the original plan to kill off the character was changed. Poe Dameron has made appearances in various Star Wars media, including books, comics, and even in a few episodes of the somewhat underrated animated series called Star Wars Resistance.
Star Wars Resistance takes place during the sequel trilogy timeline, spanning from before The Force Awakens to The Rise of Skywalker. Isaac reprises his role in the series, playing a significant part in the first two episodes. In these episodes, Dameron recruits the show’s main character, Kazuda Xiono, into the resistance and sends him on a mission to oppose the First Order.
Genevieve O’Reilly – Mon Mothma
Genevieve O’Reilly has been making frequent appearances as Mon Mothma in various Star Wars projects lately. Her journey in the Star Wars universe began with a deleted scene in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. She then played a crucial role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and became a central figure in the Disney+ series Andor, shedding light on Mothma’s life as a senator secretly aiding the rebellion. Recently, she made a cameo in Ahsoka and reprised her role in the animated series Star Wars Rebels during its four-season run, appearing five times towards the end of the show. One of her standout moments was in the season three episode “Secret Cargo,” where Mon Mothma bravely spoke out against the Emperor, and the Rebel crew helped spread her message to rally the rebellion against the Empire. Genevieve O’Reilly delivered a fantastic performance in this role, leaving a lasting impression on Star Wars fans.
Billy Dee Williams – Lando Calrissian
Billy Dee Williams transformed Lando Calrissian into an iconic character through his charismatic performance, despite having limited screen time in the Star Wars franchise. Lando, known as a smuggler and scoundrel, earned his living through theft and gambling. Although he famously lost the Millennium Falcon to Han Solo, he also won control of Cloud City in a game of Sabacc. Despite betraying Solo initially, Lando ultimately became a hero and a valuable ally against the Empire.
While he is best known for his live-action portrayals, Billy Dee Williams reprised his role as Lando in an episode of the animated series Star Wars Rebels. This marked the first time Lando appeared in an animated series and was Williams’ first canonical portrayal of the character since 1983. In the episode, Zeb from the Ghost Crew wagered their droid Chopper in a game of Sabacc against Lando. After losing, Lando agreed that they could work off their debt, making for an enjoyable episode and a great watch for fans looking for more of Lando ahead of the live-action film featuring Donald Glover.
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Sam Witwer – Darth Maul
Darth Maul initially gained fame from his appearance in the 1999 film “Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” However, his character underwent significant development and depth in subsequent appearances. In “The Phantom Menace,” Maul was physically portrayed by stunt person Ray Park, with actor and comedian Peter Serafinowicz providing the character’s voice.
The actor who has had the most impact on defining the Sith apprentice, though, is Sam Witwer. Witwer voiced Maul in the animated series “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels,” infusing the character with more personality and depth. When Maul made his live-action return in the 2018 film “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Witwer once again lent his voice while Ray Park reprised the physical role. Although there hasn’t been any follow-up to that movie tease yet, fans remain hopeful that Witwer and Park will get more opportunities to portray Maul in live-action.
Christopher Lee – Count Dooku
No one could have been a more perfect choice to portray a Sith Lord in the Star Wars prequels than the late Sir Christopher Lee, who sadly passed away in 2015 at the age of 93. He was a highly acclaimed actor of his era, known for his portrayal of numerous iconic villains, including Saruman in The Lord of the Rings and the title role in the 1958 adaptation of Dracula. His portrayal of Count Dooku in the prequel films was a standout performance and a significant asset to the franchise.
Count Dooku’s character has continued to be a significant part of the Star Wars universe, featuring prominently in animated series like The Clone Wars and receiving further exploration in the Disney+ anthology show Tales of the Jedi. While another actor, Burton, provided the voice for Dooku in various animated series and video games, Christopher Lee did reprise the role once by lending his voice to the character in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which served as a pilot for the subsequent animated series.
Steve Blum – Garazeb Orrelios
Garazeb Orrelios, commonly known as Zeb, is a well-known character from the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. He played a significant role in the series as a key member of the rebel ship “The Ghost,” with Steve Blum providing his voice. Steve Blum is recognized by animation enthusiasts for his roles like Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Sub-Zero in recent Mortal Kombat games, the fictional host of Toonami “TOM,” and various other projects.
Zeb recently made his first live-action appearance in the third season of The Mandalorian, which hints at the possibility of him returning in the Ahsoka series alongside other Rebels characters. Since Zeb is an alien character, his portrayal involved motion capture technology, but Steve Blum returned to voice the character during his brief appearance.
Matthew Wood – General Grievous
General Grievous, the menacing cyborg with lightsabers, is a standout character introduced in the prequel trilogy. He first appeared in the 2-D animated Star Wars: Clone Wars series by Genndy Tartakovsky, which is now considered non-canon and came before Dave Filoni’s more famous 3-D animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
In Tartakovsky’s series, General Grievous had two different voice actors, John DiMaggio and Richard McGonagle. However, when the character made the jump to live-action in Revenge of the Sith, Gary Oldman was originally slated to provide the voice. Unfortunately, Oldman had to drop out, and Matthew Wood, a sound editor at Lucasfilm who had previously voiced minor characters in Star Wars films, took on the role. Wood continued to voice Grievous in various animated appearances in Filoni’s The Clone Wars series.
Ming-Na Wen – Fennec Shand
Fennec Shand, portrayed by Ming-Na Wen, made her debut in the inaugural season of The Mandalorian, marking the beginning of live-action Star Wars TV series. As a highly regarded mercenary, Shand left a significant impact in her role on The Mandalorian, leading to her continued presence in the Star Wars universe.
Ming-Na Wen reprised her role as Shand in the second season of The Mandalorian and played a co-leading role in The Book of Boba Fett. Additionally, Shand appeared in the first season of the animated series The Bad Batch, with Wen providing her voice. It’s worth noting that Wen is set to return as Shand in the upcoming third and final season of The Bad Batch, scheduled for release on Disney+ in 2024.
Samuel L. Jackson – Mace Windu
Mace Windu, a prominent Jedi Council member in the prequel trilogy of Star Wars, was famously portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in all three films. However, his character seemingly met his demise at the hands of Darth Sidious in “Revenge of the Sith.” Jackson also made a brief vocal appearance in Episode IX – “The Rise of Skywalker” and voiced the character in the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” animated film.
Similar to Christopher Lee’s portrayal of Dooku, Jackson initially voiced Mace Windu in the film/pilot of the animated series before another actor took over for the full series. Terrence C. Carson, who had previously voiced the character in Tartakovsky’s “Clone Wars,” assumed the role in Dave Filoni’s “The Clone Wars” and has continued to voice Mace Windu in various animated series and video games since then.
Lars Mikkelsen – Grand Admiral Thrawn
The final addition to this list is an actor who has recently become a part of both the Star Wars animation and live-action universe. Lars Mikkelsen, known for his roles in acclaimed series like the BBC’s Sherlock and Netflix’s House of Cards, lent his voice to the notorious antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn in the last two seasons of the animated show Star Wars Rebels. Thrawn was the central antagonist of that series, and now this character has made the transition into live-action.
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