Sarah Michelle Gellar discusses the process and surprises of voicing the wily and villainous Seventh Sister on Star Wars Rebels.

Gellar — whose husband Freddie Prinze Jr. provides the voice of Kanan — made her debut as the Force-sensitive Inquisitor on this week’s episode of Star Wars Rebels. Intelligent and wily, suggestive and brutal, the Seventh Sister has already proven to be an extremely formidable opponent for the rebels — and it seems like she’s just getting started.

Interview with Sarah Michelle Gellar

What has impressed you the most about joining the cast of Star Wars Rebels?

This cast is so incredible, and they work together. What I think is really interesting about this process, and I couldn’t always participate, but when I could I did, is they record together. A lot of times with animated [shows], you’re in a booth by yourself, you do your lines and go home. And they really record as like a live show, and I think it makes such a difference in the performances, because they’re actually performing off each other.

And so especially in the beginning, when I was really getting to know everyone separate from being “the wife of,” I really enjoyed being able to be in the booth with them. It was awesome.

What surprised you about playing a villain in Star Wars Rebels?

How much I enjoy it. It’s always fun to play characters you least expect. What I really loved… she’s such an intelligent, she’s such a thinking bad guy. She’s a thinking villain. And everybody wants to the be the villain, I mean, come on! Plus you get the way better outfits.

What is it like working as a voice actor on the series?

Being in a booth is the greatest thing ever. It requires absolutely no hair or makeup. It doesn’t even require a shower, because Dave [Filoni is] on the other side, so I don’t even have to go that far!

It’s extremely creative, it’s very free. They dim the lights, you have that room — I’m one of those people that has to use my entire body when I do stuff, and so I wield my imaginary lightsaber when I’m in there. It’s so weird, they don’t bring those to recording sessions! — just because I have to get into the physicality of it.

But it’s really freeing, because you’re just not as self-conscious. Because you know that they’re not seeing you look like an idiot, wielding an imaginary lightsaber — although I’m sure Dave probably videotaped it many times on his iPhone, and I’m sure I’ll be getting videos.

Related: Star Wars Rebels cast and crew teases Ezra’s parents, Kanan’s conflict, and nail-biting mysteries

Just because you’re in a recording booth, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be fully in-character. It’s just, you don’t have to sit through the hair and makeup. So when I was finding [the Seventh Sister], and finding things like the hand [motions], and whatever those things are that help you get into character, and then [I] would start seeing them in the drawings. It’s a really great reciprocal process, and creative.

What do you personally fangirl over?

I’m in Star Wars! I mean, come on! I don’t know if it necessarily hit me right away, when I was hitting everybody up for a role on it, but for the rest of my life, I am now part of this family. I am part of the legend, I’m part of the lore, I’m part of the story. As Ashley [Eckstein] has proved, you never know where someone’s gonna pop up.

And like I said earlier, I’m looking for some street cred! I’m tired of it being, “Charlotte’s daddy’s a Jedi, and Charlotte’s mom drives carpool.” So I was also really hoping that finally get some cred with the kindergarten crowd.

Star Wars Rebels 2×06, “Brothers of the Broken Horn,” airs on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 9:30 p.m. on Disney XD.