One of the stars of Star Wars' latest Disney+ series, Ahsoka, mourned and reflected on the devastating loss of her co-star, Ray Stevenson.
Star Wars fans experienced incredible shock and sadness upon hearing that Ray Stevenson passed away at 58 years old, which came after being hospitalized on the set of a new movie in Italy in May 2023.
Along with his role as Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka and a voiceover role as Gar Saxon and others in Star Wars Rebels, Stevenson built an incredible fanbase across the sci-fi community. This included a role as Volstagg in the MCU's Thor trilogy, which he played on three separate occasions before his character was killed off in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok.
Ahsoka Star Reflects on Ray Stevenson's Life & Death
In a recent issue of SFX Magazine, Sabine Wren actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo spoke about her experience on the show with the late Ray Stevenson as they both made their live-action Star Wars debuts together.
Noting that she had "a lot of great, great scenes with him," Bordizzo described Stevenson as "just such a larger than life person" through their experience working alongside each other.
His personality truly "[came] through in the character" for Bordizzo, who expressed a sense of gratitude that she "got to spend that whole year with him last year" while they filmed this new series:
"It really comes through in the character, who’s really intriguing, complex and not what you expect. I obviously feel really sad but grateful that we got to spend that whole year with him last year, creating so many memories and shooting such amazing stuff."
Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson also spoke with People Magazine about Stevenson's performance, describing his work as "really beautiful and so thoughtful."
Shin Hati star Ivanna Sakhno also shared her own message to Stevenson immediately after his death on Instagram, calling her co-star "a giant with an even bigger heart:"
"Ray… My heart is shattered and I can’t fathom you not being here. My dear friend. My Master. A giant with an even bigger heart. You understood the infinite. Your love for life, your partner Elisabetta and your 3 boys was unyielding. Knowing you in this lifetime had been one of the greatest gifts."
Lucasfilm and Disney+ shared their own tribute for Ray Stevenson in the closing moments of Ahsoka Episode 1, with the message "For our friend, Ray" coming on screen just before the credits rolled.
The first three episodes of Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+.
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