In the swirling galaxy of Hollywood dreams and star-studded aspirations, Diana Lee Inosanto's journey has been nothing short of a cinematic odyssey!
The Force is undeniably strong with this one as she steps onto the stage of the new Star Wars series, Ahsoka. However, a little-known fact for most newcomers is that the actress comes from a distinctive lineage—and she even has a revered godfather by the name of Bruce Lee!
LOOK: Meet Diana Lee Inosanto, the Filipina Actress Starring in "Ahsoka"
Diana made her grand entrance into the Star Wars universe via The Mandalorian's second season, in which she portrayed the formidable Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, who is member of the Nightsisters, a coven of witches native to the Outer Rim Territories planet Dathomir.
Hailing from a lineage steeped in martial arts legendry, Diana is the daughter of none other than Dan Inosanto, a name synonymous with combat mastery, who is one of the most famous champions of the Philippine martial arts.
He was a student, training partner, and confidante of Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who later becomes the godfather of Diana. In the 1960s, and already a black belter in kenpo, the Fil-Am martial artist went to California to train with eskrimadors and learn the fighting arts of his ancestors.
In a Facebook post in 2020, Diana expressed her gratitude to her father for influencing her.
“I am forever grateful to my father, Dan Inosanto,” she said. “Never would I have expected that those childhood years of him teaching me Filipino Martial Arts (ironically at one time with a toy [l]ightsaber!) would foreshadow my battle sequence with a beloved character as Ahsoka Tano (brilliantly played by Rosario Dawson).”
Diana also revealed that the stunt team behind The Mandalorian heavily trained under her father's school.
“I have to give a shout-out to the stunt team of The Mandalorian, several of whom trained with my father, and made me feel right at home,” she wrote.
Her apprenticeship in the theater arts, under the watchful eye of her aunt Lilia Inosanto, a respected Asian American actress, set the stage for her future exploits. Guided by luminaries such as Michael Shurtleff and Tzi Ma, Diana honed her craft, flitting effortlessly from Shakespearean sonnets to contemporary plays.
She also wielded her choreographic prowess in the world of stage productions, and soon her expertise extended to the silver screen, prepping Hollywood's elite for their action-packed roles. Diana was also the martial arts double for none other than Sarah Michelle Gellar!
We're so in awe, Diana!
* This story originally appeared on Spin.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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