Andrew Kishino has been many things in his life and career, from hip-hop artist to Transformers video game voice actor. Now he can add something else to his impressive list: Star Wars hero.

As the voice of Saw Gerrera on The Clone Wars, Kishino brings to life one of the key figures of the current Onderon story arc, and in a sense, the larger Star Wars saga. Saw is one of the founders of the Onderon rebellion against the Separatist occupation; the Onderon rebels’ tactics and formation, supported by the Jedi, will go on to lay the groundwork for the Rebel Alliance from the classic Star Wars trilogy. It’s a strong link from the prequel era to the original films, and with Saw at the core, his significance is larger than it might initially seem.

StarWars.com recently caught up with Kishino to talk about the special meaning Star Wars action figures have for him, getting the part of Saw and why he originally thought it was for a show on The CW network, and how his experience as a rapper informed his portrayal of the Onderonian rebel.

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