On Aug. 22, the first two episodes of the new Star Wars series Ahsoka debuted on Disney Plus. Starring Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano – the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker – the show follows her quest to find Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). It is currently doing well with both audiences and critics. If you tuned in to the premiere of Ahsoka, you would have noticed that the end of the first episode included a dedication that reads “For Our Friend Ray.” The dedication was for actor Ray Stevenson, so who is he, and who did he play in Ahsoka?
Who Is “Our Friend Ray” in Ahsoka?
If you were wondering who the “For Our Friend Ray” dedication in Ahsoka was for, it was for beloved actor Ray Stevenson, who appears as one of the main villains in the series. He passed away earlier this year. He has been an actor since the 1990s, with many memorable roles across both film and television. He was probably best known for his starring role in the series Rome, where he played Titus Pullo. Stevenson also starred as Edward Teach – also known as Blackbeard – in Black Sails, and he appeared in Dexter, Vikings, RRR, and the Divergent series.
Ahsoka was not his first entry into fan culture, as he was one of the few actors to portray Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone. And, of course, he appeared in the first three Thor movies as Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three. Ahsoka wasn’t even his first role in the Star Wars universe, having played Mandalorian commando Gar Saxon in both Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Did Ray Stevenson Finish Ahsoka?
Unfortunately, Ray Stevenson died in Italy while filming a movie called Cassino in Ischia, a few days before he turned 59 on May 21, 2023. In Ahsoka, he played Baylan Skoll, one of the main villains whose origins, as of writing, are unknown. Ahsoka finished filming in 2022, so Stevenson did finish filming the show. It seems that Ahsoka will have been his final role in a series, although he was in a movie called 1242: Gateway to the West that hasn’t been released yet. His role in Cassino in Ischia was filled by Dominic Purcell, so that won’t be his final film. He will be missed by those he worked with, which is evident by the “For Our Friend Ray” dedication in Ahsoka.
Stevenson will be remembered for his roles in film and television. Based on the first two episodes of Ahsoka, it seems like we might have some of his best work coming over the rest of the season. Ahsoka is slated to finish up in October, and you can watch new episodes on Disney Plus on Tuesdays.
