When The Mandalorian’s first series arrived, it was a revelation, a unique story with its own sense of style set in the Star Wars universe. But then, in subsequent seasons, as Disney moved to cash in on the show’s success, that uniqueness was gradually eroded. The show stopped being fun to watch, and apparently, it also stopped being fun to be a part of.
Katee Sackhoff became a key part of the series in season 2, and in season 3, her character Bo-Katan all but supplants Mando as the series lead. Few viewers were happy about how much screen time Bo-Katan was getting or how she was being used. What fans didn’t know is that the actress playing her hated what was happening as much as the show’s shrinking viewership did.
On her podcast, The Sackhoff Show, Katee recently revealed that embodying Bo-Katan destroyed her confidence and left her in the unemployment line.
“I lost all of my confidence after ‘Mandalorian,’ all of it,” Sackhoff said. “I’ve always played two steps removed from myself. Bo-Katan is nowhere near who I am as a human being. Her life, what she wants, I didn’t understand her.”
Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan on The Mandalorian
This mismatch clashed with her gut-based acting approach: “My style has always just been, ‘Your first instinct is the right instinct. Do that. Play the reality of the situation.’ And I’ve never really played a character.”
After Season 3, she faced three years of limited opportunities, compounded by doubts and poor tape auditions. “It broke me. It just broke me,” she noted. “I started doubting everything about myself. I wasn’t booking anything. And for three years, I basically didn’t work, and it just destroyed my confidence.”
Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan on The Mandalorian
In 2024, Sackhoff turned things around by hiring a new manager and coach focused on restoring her core strengths and confidence. She’s since appeared in a Law & Order episode, done voice roles in animations, and joined Prime Video’s Carrie series.
Meanwhile, The Mandalorian series is moving to film with The Mandalorian & Grogu set for May 2026. Katee’s involvement in that remains unconfirmed. Given these comments, it’s safe to assume she’s done with Star Wars. That makes her the second strong woman chased away from the franchise by Disney, who recently lost a lawsuit over their treatment of former Mandalorian star Gina Carano.