Claudia Black Opens Up About Her STAR WARS: AHSOKA Exit and Why Season 2 Wasn’t Possible
Claudia Black is stepping away from the Star Wars series Ahsoka, and she’s now sharing more about why she won’t be back for the second season of the hit Disney series. The actress has been candid about the situation, and her latest comments paint a clearer picture of what led to her decision.
In a new conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Black explained that the financial offer for Season 2 simply didn’t line up with what she needed. It was about compensation and the reality of her responsibilities at home.
Black made it clear that viewers often assume actors in major franchises are earning a fortune, but that hasn’t been her experience.
She said, “When I did the first season, people assumed that I’m making hundreds of thousands of dollars. It could not be further from the truth on a role like this. [My pay was] closer to what I was earning when I was 19 or in my early 20s.”
She also pointed out the pressure actors can feel to simply be grateful for any role in a big entertainment property, even when that job falls below what they need to support themselves or their families.
As she put it, “The issue I have is when that comes to women, other people who were able to say yes to this job didn’t have the same responsibilities, and that thinking is not designed around how much invisible work women do in a household.”
Despite the difficult choice, Black emphasized that she doesn’t take Disney’s offer personally. She shared that she’s received a huge amount of support since her initial comments surfaced, and she even reached out to Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni to thank him for being in her corner.
Her remarks to THR follow an earlier interview where she first touched on the location challenge. Season 2 is scheduled to film in London, far from her home base in Los Angeles.
As she explained, Disney “could not pay me what I needed to be paid as a single mother to keep all my responsibilities going at home in Los Angeles, because they were filming in London.”
Black’s departure leaves fans wondering how the series will adjust, but it also highlights a larger conversation happening across Hollywood regarding compensation, family obligations, and the expectations placed on actors working in massive franchises.
For Black, the decision was tough, but without the financial support she needed, saying no was her only path forward.
Her honesty seems to have struck a chord with fans who appreciated her role in Ahsoka and respect the real world factors that shaped her choice.