Katee Sackhoff reveals Mandalorian role as Bo-Katan left her 'struggling with confidence'
Katee Sackhoff, best known for her acclaimed performance in Battlestar Galactica, has opened up about the personal struggles she faced after stepping into the role of Bo-Katan Kryze on Disney+’s The Mandalorian.
Katee Sackhoff in 'The Mandalorian.'
Disney+/Lucasfilm Ltd
The actress first voiced the Mandalorian warrior in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels before making her live-action debut in season two of The Mandalorian. Her role expanded significantly in the show’s third season, but Sackhoff revealed that the transition to live action had a deep psychological impact.
On her YouTube channel, Sackhoff admitted that the process left her confidence shaken. “I lost all of my confidence after Mandalorian — all of it,” she explained. She described her usual acting style as instinct-driven and grounded in her own identity, but Bo-Katan presented a unique challenge. “Bo-Katan is nowhere near who I am as a human being… I didn’t know how to find her.”
The experience led to a difficult period in her career. “Very scary. It broke me,” Sackhoff said. “For three years, I basically didn’t work. And it just destroyed my confidence. I broke down and was like crying … I’m so broken, I have no confidence left. I’m lost.”
Sackhoff also recalled clashing with her former manager during this time, saying she felt misunderstood about the challenges she faced with the role. She eventually sought a new manager and began working with an acting coach to rebuild her self-assurance.
Reflecting on her performance, Sackhoff admitted she approached her takes differently than in past projects. “I think I was so scared that I was going to mess up that as soon as I delivered the take I wanted to deliver, that’s what I gave them. Up until that point, I’d give four different takes and have fun with it. I tried so desperately to be so controlled.” She added that she remains unsure whether she would have changed her portrayal.
The next Star Wars project on the horizon is The Mandalorian & Grogu, set to premiere in May, though it remains unclear if Sackhoff’s Bo-Katan will appear in the film.
Sackhoff will return to screens in a new adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, developed as an eight-episode limited series by Mike Flanagan for Amazon Prime Video. The actress noted she feels more at ease stepping into that role, saying, “I trust Mike … he’s amazing.”
