Kelly Marie Tran is the first lead Star Wars character played by an Asian American. She’s portraying Rose, a mechanic who fights against the First Order by keeping the Resistance up and running. She has a sister, Paige, who also works in the Resistance and we know she and Finn go off on a journey that takes them to the casino city of Canto Bight.
The bright beautiful 28-year old walked in the room and it lit up. Her passions and emotions she wore on her sleeve and you couldn’t help but to be so happy for her and join in her excitement!
She never thought she would get the part when she was auditioning.
KMT: I remember thinking……… This is crazy. There’s no way I’m gonna get this. And so that feeling kind of traveled with me from the beginning to the very end. And it served me, because I was so sure in my mind, and in my heart, that I wasn’t going to get it, that I was free to be present and have fun.
There was none of this – oh my god, I’m gonna get this. There was none of that. It was, like, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna get this. I’m just gonna have fun with the people who are here. I want to have fun with John at this test. I want to have fun with Ryan. Like, in taking his direction. And I think that that served me in the end. It was a five month audition process. And it included a surprise chemistry with John Boyega. And then the final test was in London in, like, full hair and makeup.
There was this set that they had built. It felt like we were shooting the movie. And the whole time… And still now, I’m just still trying to be present in all of it.
Kelly was working her normal day job before landing the role of Rose.
KMT: I was still working my day job. I was working at an office. I was an assistant. And… I got this email from my agent, or a call from my agent saying that Ryan wanted to meet with me before the Thanksgiving break. This is November of 2015. So I remember saying I had to go to lunch. And driving over to this meeting, and just feeling, like, how almost I feel now. Like, I just have the goose bumps, and I was, like, oh. Like, either he’s gonna be, like, you have it, or it’s gonna be, look, nice try kid. Just wanted to say, good job. Which was possible!
I was so nervous going to that meeting, and I remember sitting in the waiting room, and picking up the book that was on the table and being, like, I’m gonna casually read this book. I’m so, like, so casual. And then Ryan got there, and he was, like, oh, Kelly come on up. And we go into this room. And at first there’s a little small talk. How have you been? What have you been up to? And then he says…
I want to offer you this role. I had imagined this moment.
Kelly teared up with emotion of happiness and as we sat trying to ask her questions, there were plenty of us that teared up right along with her. She was so real, so passionate as she explained how she felt when she was offered the role.
KMT: I’m gonna cry right now. I had imagined this moment for so long. And… Oh my god! This is crazy. I’m sorry. I had imagined this moment for so long, and I thought that I would be so ecstatic, and I’d be jumping up and down. And when it happened, I was so scared. I just was silent for a full minute. I was just staring at the floor, like, oh my god! I was treading water for so long, I never thought I would get to the end of the pond. Or the lake. Whatever it is… I don’t know, I made that up just now.
I never thought that I would actually get there. And so I never thought this is what I’m gonna do when I get there. There was definitely moments of just being so horrified.
She couldn’t tell her family she landed the role!
KMT: When I finally got to set and I got to London after four months of not being able to tell anyone… And just lying for so long to my parents and my family, I had to tell them I was living in Canada. I was working on this small movie that no one had ever heard of. And finally when we were there, and we were just on set, it felt like home. It felt like I was in someone’s back yard making a small movie with my friends, which says a lot more about everyone else involved than about me. Everyone was so welcoming, and open. I don’t know that as an actor you could have a more fulfilling experience than that. Just the ability to collaborate and really work with people. So yeah. Does that answer your question?
She had never seen a Star Wars movie before auditioning!
KMT: My parents, when the first movies came out, were still in a different country. My parents are both Vietnamese refugees. They aren’t from this world at all. They don’t work in entertainment. This is a very weird thing that I think I am having trouble understanding.
But they’re having a real hard time understanding. So growing up I didn’t watch Star Wars. I was aware of it. I never really saw it. And I think that that gave me this kind of wonderful freedom. When I was auditioning for this movie I never thought to myself, How can I make this more like something I had seen? How can I make this more like the characters that are so iconic to all these people? I had this… gift of being able to look at that paper, and just be what I thought was honest. And what I thought Rian had written onto that paper.
Obviously after you get it, you watch all these movies, and there’s nothing but just amazement for how… And especially those original films. You watch them now and they’re still incredible, and how innovative they were during the time, and the idea that they were so groundbreaking when they first came out, I do think that they continue to do that in this film. In ways this film will also be groundbreaking. And… So yeah. It’s been a weird, long journey.
Kelly is the first Asian-American woman to star in a Star Wars movie
The character of Rose has done so much for diversity in film and changing our perspective of Star Wars. What are you hoping that Rose’s character accomplishes once we actually see her in action, for yourself and for future Star Wars generations, who now have a strong female Asian role model to look up to?
KMT: I thought about that a lot. And it feels like such an honor, but also a lot of pressure. This idea that I knew what it was like to grow up in a world where I never saw myself in anything. And I would like to hope that in some way this character is such an example of someone who doesn’t necessarily belong in this world. She works in maintenance. She works behind pipes all day. She’s not a star pilot. She doesn’t have magical powers. She’s not a princess. She’s someone who is just an everyday woman, essentially.
And, and these people that you don’t necessarily see in these stories, but that are so crucial to the idea of the resistance. Without these people that are fixing the ships, like, Po couldn’t go fight the First Order! So of course they’re important. But no one ever really sees them, or talks about them. They’re always just running around in the background. And if this character could mean anything, I really hope that she portrays the idea that even if you are someone who’s kind of in the background who’s not in the spotlight, who’s not a princess, you can still make a difference, and… You can still rise up to any challenge that comes to you.
She took 7 months off after wrapping up The Last Jedi to have an eat, pray, love moment.
KMT: I never thought that I would be in a position where I would be in a movie like this, and then possibly have a choice in terms of what projects I did next. I never knew that I would have a voice. And so when I finished that movie, I ran away. For seven months I went to travel… myself. And I went to have this kind of, like, eat, pray, love moment, and sort of… I think I really wanted to center myself, and really think about why I got into this in the first place. And what does that mean?
I tend to overanalyze everything, but I do think it’s important to consider what you put out in there… into the world. There’s so much noise now. There’s so much of… like, look at me! Look at me! And I just… I didn’t want to be part of that noise if that’s possible. And I just remember thinking how scared I was. I wasn’t on social media for a very long time. And it’s because I was scared of being seen. And being honest in that way. I think we talked about this before in the press conference, but I think that Carrie was such a great example of that, of just being seen always openly, honestly… unapologetically.
And… not being ashamed of who she was, and I think that I want to try as much as I can to be that way. I think that we live in a world where we tend to hide a lot of our flaws, and we try to put on makeup, and dresses, and all these things. And I’m just, like… If we all just were okay, and open, with all of our insecurities, ’cause we all have them, and we’re all not perfect, then maybe the world will be better. So… I’m trying to do that, and I’ll let you know how it goes!
Kelly doesn’t know how to date
When we asked Kelly how this role has changed her. She spoke from the heart as if she were among friends and gave us the lowdown on the difficulty of dating. Again she shows how true she is.
KMT: It’s really changed the way I look at the world. Because… I really want people to know that if your parents are not in this world, if you have no connection to it, if it seems impossible, if you’re working, like, four jobs to support it, you can’t pay off your student loan bill, if you’re worried about all that stuff and you still want to do this, and if you keep going, and you put your head down, you just ignore the parties, and ignore all the people that don’t believe in you, I, I just think it’s possible, and I always have. But no, I believe that even more so. But yeah, I also don’t know how to date.
Kelly is a kind soul
During this interview she really opened up and most importantly Kelly was true to herself. She spoke about how she admired Carrie for being so open and honest with no regrets. I guess Carrie made an impression on Kelly because she was Kelly, open and honest.
We wish her all the best and look forward to seeing Rose!
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI hits theaters everywhere TODAY!
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Don’t miss the previous articles
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Exclusive Interview with Gwendoline Christie “Captain Phasma”
The Women of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Plus Cast Press Conference
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Exclusive Interview with Domhnall Gleeson, General Hux
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