Katee Sackhoff Opens Up About Confidence Struggles After ‘The Mandalorian’

LOS ANGELES, CA – Actress Katee Sackhoff recently shared her struggles with confidence stemming from her role as Bo-Katan Kryze in the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” On her podcast, Sackhoff revealed that working on the show left her feeling unsure about her acting abilities.

“I lost all of my confidence after ‘Mandalorian,’ all of it,” Sackhoff stated. “I’ve always played two steps removed from myself. It always felt grounded in some part of my belly, of who I was. Bo-Katan is nowhere near who I am as a human being. I didn’t understand her. As much as I understood her, I never felt her in my stomach. I never identified with her. I didn’t know how to find her.”

The actress first portrayed Bo-Katan in the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” in 2012, later reprising the role in “Star Wars: Rebels” in 2017. Sackhoff made her live-action debut in “The Mandalorian” during its second season, eventually becoming a core member of the cast in Season 3.

Following the show’s third season, which wrapped in early 2022, Sackhoff expressed her difficulty in finding work. “It broke me. It just broke me,” she said, emphasizing how she started doubting her talent and faced challenges with auditions, particularly when submitting tape auditions. “For three years, I basically didn’t work, and it just destroyed my confidence.”

As part of her journey to regain her confidence, Sackhoff hired a new manager and a coach who assured her, “My goal is not to teach you how to act. You know how to act. I just need to get you back in your belly. You just need to find your confidence again.”

In 2024, Sackhoff made a return to television in the series adaptation of Stephen King’s “Carrie,” directed by Mike Flanagan, marking a new chapter in her acting career. She expressed trust in Flanagan, stating she believes he will guide her effectively. Sackhoff’s experiences on and off the screen highlight the pressure actors can face in their roles and the impact on their self-esteem.