‘It was like a roller coaster of a different direction’: Rosario Dawson discusses challenges of acting in ‘Ahsoka’ and ‘Haunted Mansion’ back to back

Actress Rosario Dawson candidly discussed the hurdles she faced while portraying two distinct characters in Ahsoka and the Haunted Mansion reboot.

In the highly anticipated Star Wars mini-series, set to debut on Disney Plus next month, Dawson plays the lead role of Ahsoka Tano, a Togruta woman that attempts to save a vulnerable galaxy from a possible threat.

At the same time, in the Haunted Mansion reboot, the 44-year-old portrayed Gabbie, a single mother trying to protect her child from their ghost-ridden home by hiring a historian, a priest, a tour guide, and a psychic to remove the spirits from the premises. 

In an interview with The Official Disney Fan Club, Dawson revealed how excited she was playing two different roles simultaneously. During the July 25 discussion, the Kids star disclosed that she was happy portraying Gabbie in the Haunted Mansion reboot because of how widely popular the ride was in Disneyland and Disney World. She said:

“There’s a lot that excited me about it, obviously. I think it’s an amazing attraction, one of the most beloved ones, you just have such fond memories of it. And I love Disneyland and Walt Disney World, I think [those kind of memories are] what makes those resorts so special.”

Further into the interview, Dawson added that although she was pumped to play both roles, she knew it was “going to be so intensive” because of how different each character was. However, despite the differences, Dawson was fearless when taking on this challenge.

“This showed up and I thought, ‘Are you kidding? Yes!,’ So I just laughed for a few months! I knew I was gearing up for Ahsoka as well, and that was going to be so intensive, and I just wanted to go in a different direction. And wow, did I?! It was like a roller coaster of a different direction, and it was amazing.”

Even though Dawson was willing to showcase her acting versatility when taking on both the Haunted Mansion reboot and Ahsoka simultaneously, that couldn’t save the film from receiving poor reviews ahead of its theatrical release.

Currently, Haunted Mansion has earned a 56 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While Ahsoka continues to generate positive buzz from fans for the many Star Wars Rebels references. Fans can catch Dawson’s work in Haunted Mansion when it premieres in theaters on July 28. At the same time, the first two episodes of Ahsoka are set to debut on Disney Plus a month later on August 23.