Nikki SooHoo voices a Force-sensitive child named Eila in the animated series Star Wars Resistance.
Other voice roles SooHoo has done over the years include Samira in Shimmer and Shine and voices in the video games Rage 2 and Epic Seven.
SooHoo has appeared in many live-action roles in TV and film as well. Look for her in Lovely Bones, Class Act, The Resident, and the TV series Heathers.
Nikki answered a few questions for 365 Star Wars via email.
What was your introduction to Star Wars?
I grew up with my older brother watching the movies and playing with the toys. I think the first Star Wars movie I really remember was The Phantom Menace where Jake Lloyd played Anakin Skywalker. I thought he was so cute.
Do you have a favorite character from any of the Star Wars films or TV series? If so have your favorites changed over time?
Definitely Anakin Skywalker played by Jake Lloyd was my favorite as a kid but now I have a dog named Chewy, after Chewbacca. She’s a shitzu and my favorite cuddle buddy.
You have been working as an actress for over 10 years. What are some of the highlights from your career either role and production-wise?
I’ve been really blessed with the opportunity to work on some amazing projects throughout my career. I’ve gotten to work with A-list actors, travel the world and shoot on location, and even play fictional characters through my voice-over work.
As of late, I would say that I’ve had the most fun getting to incorporate some of my martial arts training into the work I’ve done. In the TV show adaptation of Heathers I did on Paramount Network, the writer actually wrote in an episode so that I could use martial arts and kick the bad guy’s butt! That’s what I love about being an actor. I’m able to do and be whatever I can imagine! I’m also so grateful to get to be a part of the Star Wars family. It’s pretty epic to be a part of such a legendary empire.
What was your first voice acting role and why did you want to pursue voice acting in addition to live-action roles?
The craziest thing about my voice-over career is that I had been auditioning for 10 years before I landed my first gig. People always told me that I had a unique voice and that I should try voice-over acting. I couldn’t believe that my agents had faith in me for so long and that neither of us ever gave up trying.
I’m so grateful though, because these last few years getting to play Eila on Star Wars Resistance and playing Princess Samira on Nick Jr’s show, Shimmer and Shine, have been some of the best experiences of my career. It was worth the hard work and dedication. Voice acting is such a cool job. One of my favorite parts is when we get to record as a team, so everyone is in the same room and we all record the episode at the same time. I love it because I get to watch some of the greatest voice over artists drop into the wildest characters and just flip their voices on a switch and transform immediately. The veterans always blow me away with their talent. I look up to them and strive to hone my craft to be able to do the things that they can do.
When you were auditioning for the role of Eila in Star Wars Resistance did you know you were auditioning for a Star Wars show?
Production used a pseudonym as the project name, but I believe I knew that the production company was Lucasfilm which kind of gave it away.
When you got the part did you do any Star Wars homework to become more familiar with the Star Wars universe or did you stick to focusing just on the world of Star Wars Resistance?
I watched more of the movies as homework.
How was the character of Eila described to you before your first recording session? How would you describe her to Star Wars fans who haven’t seen the show yet?
I think we played around with her age a bit. At first, I was recording her around the age of 5-6 years old, but then we ended up rerecording her to sound around 10 years old. They showed me a sketch of my character which was really cool. Especially because she looked so different that I actually look. She was a kid with darker skin, wavy hair (I’ve always wished I had wavy hair) and yellow eyes. She was described to me as somewhat of a mystical orphan with Jedi- like powers that I hadn’t learned to control yet. I could see the future in my dreams sometimes. I was strong and adventurous, yet still young and unknowing. My older brother Kel and I were forced to flee our homeland, Tehar, when the First Order invaded killing everyone but us.
Do you have favorite Eila moments from the show?
I loved all the playful moments that I got to have with my big brother in the show. I loved when our characters would laugh and play and it was light-hearted. It’s fun to pretend you’re just a free-spirited kid, enjoying life’s little pleasures.
Can you share any projects you have coming up?
I recently appeared in Lifetime’s latest Christmas movie A Date Before Christmas Eve and have a few indie projects that are currently in post-production. I keep my social media pretty up to date with release dates for my upcoming projects. You can stay connected with me on Instagram @nikkisoohoo or on my website: www.nikkisoohoo.com.
