GeekDad had the chance to chat with a number of awesome Star Wars–related celebrities at the recent Star Wars Celebration VI. We asked each of them the same "Five Force-Full Questions" about growing up as fans and sharing the saga with the next generation, and we’ll share their answers here.
Ashley Eckstein was born between the original theatrical releases of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and grew up to become the voice of Ahsoka Tano on The Clone Wars. She also founded the Her Universe merchandise line aimed at science fiction fangirls.
John Booth: What's your favorite Star Wars movie and why?
Ashley Eckstein: The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite movie because, you know, I'm still a romantic at heart, and to me that's when the girl finally gets her guy.
Booth: What do you remember most strongly about the first time you saw Star Wars?
Eckstein: I was a young kid. I missed watching it in the theater, and if I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater ... I don't remember it. I remember watching it on VHS in my family room, and you know what's so odd? The one scene I remember, and I had to have been about four, was R2-D2 and C-3PO going through the desert on Tatooine, and in my mind, I loved Princess Leia, but I wanted to be R2-D2. I was an odd kid.
My earliest memory, I think, was just the fact that I was a kid with a big imagination, and I would play Star Wars after watching the movie. I would play it in our living room and our family room with my siblings. It was a movie that allowed you to use your imagination to take you to this galaxy far, far away.
Booth: What was the best Star Wars toy you ever had and why?
Eckstein: We had a little bit of everything, but I didn't have a Star Wars collection. I did have an ewok. And I don’t have that same ewok any more - I don't know what happened to that one. I have a LOT of ewoks now. There were four of us siblings and with so many kids in a smaller house - we've had many garage sale since then.
Booth: The next generation: What's the plan for introducing kids to Star Wars?
Eckstein: I've seen many parents who are showing their kids The Clone Wars first. Of course, they're watching the movies as well, but their kids were first introduced to Star Wars via The Clone Wars. It's amazing how they've introduced a new generation to Star Wars through our show, and it's brought families together. The original generation now has kids, and it's perfect timing.
Booth: Why are we still talking about this movie 35 years after its initial release?
Eckstein: To me, Star Wars is a story of hope, and it's a story of good overcoming evil. With our society today and all the heinous things that are happening, and everything that's gone on with the economy the past couple years, it's been a rough time. And I know Star Wars has been iconic for a long time ... and what I've noticed is that Star Wars is an escape, and it gives people hope and it gives people a chance to believe that we are going to get through this, and that good will prevail, and things will get better.
Season 5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars premieres at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, on Cartoon Network.
Check out the other responses to our Five Force-Full Questions.
