Claudia Black Explains Why She Won’t Return as Mother Klothow in Ahsoka: “Disney Could Not Pay Me”

Claudia Black, renowned for her iconic sci-fi roles in series like Farscape, Stargate SG-1, and the Riddick franchise, opened up about why she will not return as Mother Klothow in the second season of Star Wars: Ahsoka. Black also has an extensive background in voice acting, lending her talent to popular video games including Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Diablo III, and Uncharted.

While promoting her upcoming role in the Starz series Spartacus: House of Ashur, Black spoke to Bleeding Cool about her experience on Ahsoka. She played the Nightsister Klothow, a dark Force user who aids Grand Admiral Thrawn and enhances Morgan Elsbeth in her final confrontation with Ahsoka Tano. The role allowed Black to immerse herself in the Star Wars universe, which she described as “playful” and exciting, especially for fans of all ages.

However, Black confirmed that she would not be returning for season two, citing logistical and financial reasons. “They picked up season two, picked me up with it, and then Disney, which is structuring things differently these days, could not pay me what I needed to be paid as a single mother to keep all my responsibilities going at home in Los Angeles, because they were filming in London,” she explained.

“It was not something that they could make happen, and therefore, I had to bow out for season two.”

Despite stepping away, Black expressed her gratitude for the opportunity. “It was very sad for me. I sent an email to Dave Filoni thanking him, and I said, ‘What a ride!’ Everyone like me who grew up in the 70s and 80s has always been into the Star Wars universe, and it’s a very playful environment to work in. I’m grateful that I got to be in that universe, lovely people, lovely directors, interesting to work on ‘The Volume.’”

Black was particularly impressed by the cutting-edge technology used on set. “I was fascinated by it, bugged them with questions about how it worked, and how they were able to render in real time while we were standing on the set, and the background was changing with us. It was extraordinary. It was a fun, playful space to be in.”

She also enjoyed sharing the experience with her younger son, who is a fan of the newer Star Wars series. “It was fun to do something that was relatable to my younger son, who was passionate about The Clone Wars, which was the new iteration for his generation,” she said.

In the end, Black acknowledged the realities of the industry. “They could not, sadly, support a single mom, and I’m very sad about that, but I also understand market forces being what they are, and the very delicate time in the business to even be able to afford to make anything at all. We all had to do our sums and move on.”

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