Lauren Mary Kim: From Ahsoka Tano to The Armorer

The final season of The Clone Wars still resonates with Star Wars fans for its unforgettable moments, one of which pushed the boundaries of animation. Episode 7, Phantom Apprentice included the epic lightsaber duel between Ahsoka Tano and Maul—which was developed using motion capture technology for the first time in the show, choreographed and performed by Lauren Mary Kim and Ray Park (who returned to reprise his iconic role since The Phantom Menace and Solo: A Star Wars Story) respectively. Stunt Performer Lauren Mary Kim recalls her foray into the galaxy far, far away: “I remember getting an email from Lucasfilm asking if I wanted to do motion capture for one of the most beloved Star Wars characters. I kind of just got the job … I didn’t interview or audition. My friend Amy Johnston, who’s an amazing martial artist, referred me because she couldn’t do the job. They didn’t tell me until later that the character was Ahsoka Tano and that they were making their last season a surprise for the fans. It was super cool to get involved with [The Clone Wars] because that changed everything … it just got me into the world of Star Wars, which is a dream for everyone.”

Kim explained that prior to meeting with Ray Park, she researched Ahsoka Tano, watching old episodes to understand the essence of the character. She then delved into the experimental development process for creating the lightsaber fight: “This was the first time [Lucasfilm] had ever done something like this, and they didn’t even know if it would work. It was just me and Ray Park, no fight coordinator. We had two days to choreograph and rehearse, then we flew to San Francisco where Dave Filoni gave us some feedback. You know, he’s the godfather of Star Wars in that show, and so he helped us with the emotional beats … he’s just a great director to work for.” She added that “as a stunt performer, you don’t usually have that much creative say, usually there’s a fight coordinator and/or stunt coordinator that tells you what to do. This was the opportunity for us to both have creative input in an epic project. It was really special.”

The Stunt Performer’s Star Wars journey was beginning, and soon after her Ahsoka Tano performance in The Clone Wars Lauren Mary Kim joined The Mandalorian, doubling many iconic characters, including the Armorer, Koska Reeves, the Magistrate, and Fennec Shand. Kim remembers, “I got a call from Ryan Watson, the stunt coordinator for The Mandalorian, because Jon Favreau wanted the Armorer to have a specific style in Filipino martial arts within her fight scene. And then from there, of course, that’s what led me to all the other characters.”

Kim revealed that her years of experience working on the Power Rangers franchise helped her prepare to perform under the helmet in The Mandalorian. “I’m so grateful that I had that under my belt already because it can be tough … you don’t have very much oxygen in there, and the sight is horrible; you have no peripheral vision. You kind of have to trust your instincts and sometimes you have to perform a little extra … you can’t have dead arms, you have to look alive. I think I took too many energy drinks that day to help me [laughs].”

While working on The Mandalorian, Lauren Mary Kim harnessed a friendship with Emily Swallow, who portrays the Armorer. “I actually started training her in Filipino martial arts because I got her amped up to learn while spending time together at comic cons. It’s been really cool to see her journey … She’s just such a dedicated actor, she cares about [the Armorer], and it really shows. I just feel like she wants to embody her fully, and it’d be really cool if she could do some of the fights in the future,” Kim said.

The Mandalorian brought Lauren Mary Kim many other Star Wars opportunities, including working together with fellow martial artist Diana Lee Inosanto on the character of the Magistrate in Season Two. Kim said, “I mean, of course I wanted to double Ahsoka but I’m too short. [Rosario Dawson] is 5’ 7”, and I’m only 5’ 4” so it didn’t work out. But luckily Ryan [Watson] got me into fighting Ahsoka [as the Magistrate], which was really cool.”

Being a stunt performer has its challenges. Kim shared about an injury she had to endure while shooting The Mandalorian: “I actually got hurt on one of the scenes while doubling Koska Reeves. I sprained my ankle, which I’ve actually done before, and it sucks. I was doing wire work and landed weirdly on my boot, and it just rolled my ankle. You feel a little handicapped, but you have to push through it. That was probably one of the more difficult times on set, but you know, that’s the life of a stunt performer, right?”

Since she entered the Star Wars universe, Lauren Mary Kim has had the opportunity to tour around comic cons meeting fans from all over the world. Kim admitted that “honestly, I’m always so in awe and can’t believe people do actually want to meet me. I mean, I’m happy, it’s just kind of mind blowing because most stunt performers are not doing cons. The response has been really positive, and Star Wars fans are so loyal—they’re probably some of the best fans in the world. They are just so open minded, friendly, loving, and knowledgeable … I appreciate them so much.” The fans intensely inspired Kim to the point that she became a hardcore Star Wars fan herself, so much so that she created a Mandalorian fan film with her friend Amy Jonhston and even got Brendan Wayne to make an appearance. Kim shared, “We’re fighting over the Baby Yoda doll because when I was trying to get it a long time ago, it was sold out everywhere. So I was like, we should do a skit about this. It seems such a hot commodity [laughs]!”

Lauren Mary Kim continues to inspire Star Wars fans (and beyond) with her outstanding stunt performances and love for the franchise. Make sure to check out her action-packed YouTube channel and don’t forget to stay up to date with her current projects and lifestyle on her Instagram page.

DISCLAIMER: This interview was originally published by Fabio Fiori on TatooineTimes.com.