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FORCES OF DESTINY







                        PADMÉ AMIDALA








                               CATHERINE T ABER
                          Known to Star Wars fans as the voice Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a
                           role which she reprises in Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, Catherine Taber tells Insider
                                     how Star Wars was her big break into the acting profession.

                                                     W ORDS: D ARREN SCO TT


                          Star Wars Insider: You’re back                    really want to do justice to what
                          playing Padmé again in the                        Carrie did. There’s just something
                          animated micro-series Forces                      about Princess Leia and Carrie
                          of Destiny. How did you fi nd                      Fisher that goes together, and you
                          the experience?                                   cannot separate the two.
                          Catherine Taber: It’s always                        With Leia, there is defi nitely a
                          lovely as an actor when you don’t                 lot more trying to make sure you’re
                          even audition and they just call and              staying true to that character as
                          say: “We would like to have you be                Carrie portrayed her. When I played
                          a part of this.” It was really exciting           Leia in The Force Unleashed games,
                          and fun, getting to go in and see old             I’m playing her at a different age. I’m
                          friends in the cast and crew. Just a   TABER TALES  playing her much younger, which
                          lovely experience all round.  One of Taber’s earliest   I felt really comfortable with. You
                                                        television appearances
                            What’s funny about Forces of                    know you’re never going to be quite
                                                        was in a 1998 episode of
                          Destiny is that I auditioned for Leia!   Beverly Hills 90210, and   as good as Carrie Fisher as Princess
                          I had no idea what it was for, but I   her voice can currently be   Leia, so why even act like you are
                                                        heard as recurring villain
                          read for the part a couple of weeks               going to? But she’s so iconic that you
                                                        Medusa in the Avengers
                          before I got the call asking me to   and Guardians of the   have a real blueprint. You say: “OK,
                          come back as Padmé. I worked my   Galaxy animated series.  here is what she did. Let me try to
                          hardest to do my best Leia, but had   Taber has also provided   do somewhat of a copy of that and
                                                        voices for a wide range
                          I known what the project was and                  hopefully do it justice.” Basically, I
                                                        of video games, including
                          that Padmé was going to be in it, I   Minecraft, Teenage   just try not to screw it up too much!
                          might not have worked quite so hard   Mutant Ninja Turtles,   In many cases, acting is all about
                                                        Final Fantasy, Resident
                          on the audition! And I am thrilled                that. If you’re playing Ophelia in
                                                        Evil, Metal Gear Solid,
                          Shelby got the role, she is awesome!  Disney Infi nity and Marvel   Hamlet, then many, many actresses
                                                        Superheroes. She made   have portrayed Ophelia before you,
                          You’re best known as the voice   her feature fi lm debut   and you don’t try to do what some
                                                        alongside Star Trek’s Wil
                          of Padmé Amidala in The Clone                     other actress did before. So you try
                                                        Wheaton in The Girls’
                          Wars, and you played Leia in The   Room in 2000, and can   to honor both the playwright and
                          Force Unleashed video games and   be heard as the voice of a   the character.
                                                        weapons technician in Star
                          other projects. Is it very different                I felt like I did that a little bit
                                                        Wars: The Force Awakens
                          taking on a role that has been   (2015). Catherine runs a   more with Padmé, and by the time
                          established by another actor?  charity called Games for   we’d fi nished The Clone Wars,
                                                        Soldiers, which collects
                          It is to some extent. Particularly                we’d all said more words as those
                                                        and distributes video
                          with someone like Carrie Fisher.   games to U.S. soldiers   characters that anyone in the fi lms
                          She’s so iconic and unique that you   posted overseas.  had done. I really felt like I knew




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