First episode of Star Wars spinoff Ahsoka dedicated to late Ray Stevenson

The first episode of new Star Wars spinoff series Ahsoka paid tribute to late Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson.

The actor, who plays the villainous Baylan Skoll in the series, died in May aged 58, though no further details about his death were made immediately available.

At the end of the first episode of Ahsoka, which launched on Disney+ on Wednesday, the words “For our friend, Ray” appeared.

Ahsoka follows former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

Rosario Dawson, who plays the title character, previously remembered Stevenson, as a very spiritual person with whom she had “the most extraordinary conversations”.

Speaking to US outlet People prior to the Hollywood actors strike, Dawson described him as “really beautiful and so thoughtful.”

She said Stevenson owned many different crystals and they had had conversations “about the divine feminine”.

“(He was) almost like (a) Nordic kind of man, who was very heavy-handed and then just like the most gentle, brilliant, loving divine feminine spirit,” she said.

“You just had the most extraordinary conversations with him about his family and philosophies.

“I’ve had so many people who I know are friends with him. We were so blessed to have him working with us. He made all of us better.”

As well as Dawson and Stevenson, Ahsoka stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ivanna Sakhno and Doctor Who star David Tennant.

The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck.

Stevenson was well known for films including Thor and Punisher, though also starred in multiple television shows including as soldier Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome from 2005-2007.

He starred as Porthos in the 2011 film The Three Musketeers – alongside Luke Evans, Matthew Macfadyen and Milla Jovovich – and was in Divergent with Kate Winslet and Zoe Kravitz in 2014.

More recently, he appeared as the villainous Governor Scott Buxton in the 2022 Oscar-winning Bollywood film RRR.

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