Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 7.
Summary
- Recasting Leia in the Ahsoka live-action show poses a challenge due to the late Carrie Fisher's iconic portrayal and the potential backlash.
- Olivia Cooke, Alicia Vikander, and Jenna Ortega are among the actresses who could bring depth and the necessary qualities to play Princess Leia.
- Billie Lourd, Fisher's daughter, is the ultimate choice to reprise her mother's role, given her own acting skills and personal connection to Leia.
Now that Leia Organa has been referenced in the Star Wars may be facing the impossible task of recasting the late Carrie Fisher. With the return of C-3PO on her behalf, Leia’s presence within the New Republic feels as though it is missing. Luke Skywalker has appeared in the new generation of Star Wars, so it only makes sense that Leia returns as well, with the Skywalker twins sure to be pivotal in thwarting Grand iral Thrawn's efforts in Dave Filoni's Heir to the Empire-esque movie.
However, there are many things to take into when choosing someone to follow in Carrie Fisher’s footsteps, and it would be a decision that is mired in controversy no matter what Disney and Lucasfilm decides. After all, when Han Solo was recast with Alden Ehrenreich for Solo: A Star Wars Story, there was pushback from those accustomed to Harrison Ford's portrayal. If a recast is the chosen route, any actor that plays the princess would have to be a perfect fit, both in the way she speaks and how way she carries herself.
10 Olivia Cooke
Most well known for her role as Alicent Hightower in HBO’s House of the Dragon, Olivia Cooke has plenty of experience mixing the royalty of a character with the power of her performance. If there is anything that she has shown from the show, it is that she knows how to play a queen with a tactical mind. House of the Dragon is an intense story full of powerful performances, and Cooke would certainly be able to show all sides of Leia’s emotional spectrum, including her hotheaded nature. Taking into consideration that Leia is Alderaanian royalty, Cooke would also be the perfect choice for a more regal Princess Leia.
9 Alicia Vikander
There are plenty of roles that have shot Alicia Vikander to stardom, most notably her portrayal of Lara Croft in 2018’s Tomb Raider. However, it is her roles as Essel and The Lady in The Green Knight that earn her a spot on this list. Her performance as the two characters is so well-rounded and stunning that it is often difficult to tell that the same actress is playing them both. For Essel, she brings more of a rough personality to the character, and with The Lady she is both calculating and alluring in equal measure. An actress capable of such range would be able to take the character of Leia on while perhaps bringing her own nuance to the role.
8 Jenna Ortega
Perhaps one of the younger actors on this list, Jenna Ortega has gained incredible popularity over a very short period of time. At only 21 years of age, she has starred in series such as You, Scream, and Wednesday, the latter as the titular Wednesday Addams. That is to say, she has experience reprising the role of another actor and bringing a beloved character to life in a big way. Ortega is generally praised in the role of Wednesday Addams, and she could translate the experience that she has playong this character to adapting that of Fisher’s Princess Leia in a lovely and respectful way.
7 Sophie Turner
Best known for her roles as Jean Grey in the X-Men franchise and Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner spent her childhood becoming a household name. Growing up as Sansa Stark allowed viewers to see her grow as an actor, too, and considering much like Leia, Sansa was also in a way a princess who lost her home and was forced to lead, there are a great many parallels between the two characters. Turner would be a great option to play Senator Organa if the role is looking for someone who can portray wisdom beyond their years, something that Leia was always known for.
6 Kiernan Shipka
Kiernan Shipka began her career as a child actress, well-known for roles such as that of Sally Draper in Mad Men and Sabrina Spellman in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. With a long history of acting starting at such a young age, Shipka has the experience to take on a role with as much background as that of Leia Organa. After all, Sabrina is also a beloved character with a great deal of history, one that Shipka has been playing on and off since 2018. She would be more than able to bring her own sort of flair to the role of Leia, likely with a similar curiosity and grace that she approached the role of Sabrina Spellman with.
5 Maude Apatow
Coming from a famous family, Maude Apatow has recently reached her own acclaim on the television series Euphoria as Lexi Howard. Not only does she absolutely look the part of Leia Organa, but she is quite a talented actress, as well. After playing what could be argued is one of the most level-headed characters in all of Euphoria, she would likely be able to transfer this experience to that of the young general. Leia may be a hothead when the situation calls for it, but she is also someone who is calm and collected under pressure, something that Apatow would be the perfect choice for conveying.
4 Milly Alcock
Another actress of House of the Dragon fame, Milly Alcock has slowly built up her career by briefly appearing in a variety of different television shows. Playing a young Rhaenyra is her first real time in the spotlight, and this role has already shown viewers that she has some incredible acting skills. The role of Rhaenyra, even her younger counterpart, is one that requires an great amount of strength of will and conviction, both of which are needed in equal parts to play Leia Organa. Rhaenyra is also royalty, and Alcock was able to convey that nobility flawlessly in her role without needing to address it in words, something that few actors are capable of.
3 Olivia Scott Welch
Quickly becoming a famous actress in her own right, Olivia Scott Welch is most well known for her starring role as Sam Fraser in Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy. She gave an incredible performance, playing the love interest to Kiana Madeira’s Deena Johnson that becomes possessed over the course of the first movie. In her role, she exhibited a massive range of emotion, from love to fear and everything in between. Playing such a major part in a long production would lend itself well to becoming a part of a major franchise like Star Wars, and because she is a relatively new actress, for many people she would likely be able to seamlessly assume the part of Princess Leia, as opposed to being a famous actress just playing another role.
2 Florence Pugh
In recent years, Florence Pugh has absolutely exploded in popularity. She has starred in everything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the eerily chilling Don’t Worry Darling. Perhaps equally chilling, if not more so, is her performance in Ari Aster’s daylight horror film Midsommar. There is such a raw depth of emotion to Midsommar, especially Pugh’s performance, that it is more than likely she could take any role that was offered to her and play it well. If Star Wars was ever searching for a more emotion-heavy and intense performance of Leia Organa, Pugh would be an incredible choice.
1 Billie Lourd
At the end of the day, there is one clear answer for who should play Princess Leia, and that is Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd. Although she did play a minor role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as Lieutenant Connix, there is no better person to reprise Fisher’s role than her own daughter. After finding fame in her own right on projects such as American Horror Story, Lourd has become an accomplished actress more than capable of reprising the role of her mother’s character in the Ahsoka series and future Star Wars projects.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT/ 9 pm ET on Disney+.
