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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 8 december 2017

Kelly Marie Tran steps into Star Wars stardom in ‘Last Jedi’

By SANDY COHEN does her work behind the being from this industry at
AP Entertainment Writer scenes. all has really helped,” she
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kelly “She’s never been some- said.
Marie Tran still can’t quite one who has been in the “Just because I go home
believe she’s in a Star Wars limelight,” Tran said of her and my mom is like, ‘Wash
movie. character. “And then we the dishes,’ you know, and
The 28-year-old was about get to see her get pulled it’s just great.”
to give up on her dreams of into the forefront of the ac- Tran, however, is a Southern
becoming an actress when tion, and you see how she Californian who grew up on
she landed a breakthrough deals with it.” pop culture, even though
role in “The Last Jedi.” Sounds like art imitating life she didn’t see many reflec-
So after years of toiling and for a certain actress. tions of herself in it. Tran said
hoping and working dis- “Totally, 100 percent,” Tran she relishes the chance to
posable jobs, Tran is now a said with a beaming grin. portray a Star Wars hero as
movie star, the kind of per- Director Rian Johnson an Asian-American wom-
son who holds hands with found her after “a huge, This Dec. 3, 2017 photo shows actress Kelly Marie Tran posing an.
Laura Dern at media events exhaustive casting search” for a portrait during the “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” press junket in “I remember when I was
and considers Gwendoline that included well-known Los Angeles. really young and I felt like
Christie a good friend. actresses and newcomers. Associated Press I needed to see someone
“I know, right? Let me pinch “And Kelly just, I don’t ing the audition process religious fandom. that looked like me do
myself real quick,” Tran know, she really jumped that Tran had something “It is such a strange experi- something impossible,” she
said, her effervescent ex- out at me as someone who special. ence,” she said. “You know, said. “I wanted to look like
citement bright and obvi- I was looking for in the char- “We would do chemistry it’s not like taking your driv- everyone else in movies
ous. “I am just trying to stay acter,” he said. reads and it was so blatant er’s test or breaking up with and books and TV shows,
present and really trying to “I wanted someone who from the beginning that your boyfriend, where you and because no one
experience every moment — thinking back to me she was the right girl for the can call whoever you want looked like me, I wanted to
of this. It still feels very im- as a kid being a genuine part,” he said. to be like, ‘Hey, remember change.
possible and very much like nerd you could relate to — Both Boyega and Daisy when that happened?’ And I think about that a lot.
it’s all a big dream or some- someone who didn’t feel Ridley (Rey) were also rela- This is truly like you have two I think about the idea of all
thing.” like they belong; someone tive unknowns when they other people you could these young kids and what
Tran was plucked from ob- you wouldn’t necessarily joined the Star Wars uni- talk to about it.” would the world be if we all
scurity to play Rose Tico, imagine as a big Star Wars verse for 2015’s “The Force Tran’s family is also keeping were so confident that we
a Resistance mechanic in hero. Let’s throw them in Awakens,” and Tran said her grounded. She said her never spent any time want-
“The Last Jedi.” Rose idol- the mix and see the world they’ve been like spirit Vietnamese immigrant par- ing to be anyone else. So it
izes Resistance fighters like through their eyes.” guides as she navigates a ents were raised far from means a lot to me.”
pilot Poe Dameron and for- John Boyega, who plays new world of international Star Wars and Hollywood. Take that from a newly
mer Stormtrooper Finn, but Finn, said he could tell dur- appearances and near- “I think that my family not minted movie star.q

John Boyega talks ‘Last Jedi,’

personal parallels with Finn

By SANDY COHEN accustomed to his place in of ‘The Last Jedi,’ we were
AP Entertainment Writer the Star Wars universe after kind of living parallels to
LOS ANGELES (AP) — John making his debut as Finn our characters in a sense,”
Boyega may have a lot in “The Force Awakens,” Boyega said. “Because
in common with Finn, the both he and his character Finn is now well known in
character he plays in “Star remain awed by the scope the Star Wars universe, and
Wars: The Last Jedi,” but a of that world. for me, I’m known within
trip to a London toy store A former Stormtrooper who the industry and our plan-
left the actor floored. escapes the First Order to et and whatever. Now he
Boyega said one of the join the Resistance, Finn is has this reputation and it’s
most surprising experiences now emboldened to dis- hard for him to keep that
he had while making the cover where he fits into the up while still figuring himself
film was seeing his own fight, Boyega said. out because he’s been la-
larger-than-life likeness at “It creates a very brave beled as a hero.” This Dec. 3, 2017 photo shows John Boyega posing for a portrait
the Toys “R’’ Us store he fre- Finn and he’s eager to do Finn’s onscreen heroics during the “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” press junket in Los Angeles
quented as a kid. The actor anything to find out and in “The Last Jedi” include Associated Press
had gone to find a gift for prove that this is my posi- an epic battle with Cap- her ever since. the idea of seeing himself
his newborn nephew when tion,” said Boyega. tain Phasma (Gwendoline “He’s so generous in terms as an action figure. But that
he came face to face with The 25-year-old actor is Christie) that took months of being an actor and real- was only the beginning of
a giant cardboard cutout poised to do the same in of training and prepara- ly kind of teaching me the “The Last Jedi” branding.
of himself as Finn. Hollywood: His work in Star tion. ropes because I was new “I recently went to the gro-
“There were toys every- Wars has led to other high- Off-screen, Boyega was to this,” Tran said. “I truly cery store and saw myself
where, and I was just like, profile roles, including a a hero to newcomer Kelly feel like I couldn’t have on water,” he said.
‘Wow,’” Boyega said in a part in Kathryn Bigelow’s Marie Tran, who plays Rose had a better partner in this “That’s the biggest it gets
recent interview. “I’m on “Detroit” and in next year’s Tico. The two met while she whole experience.” for me. Everybody needs
the shelf. It’s strange.” “Pacific Rim Uprising.” was auditioning for the role, As for Boyega, he’s had water, you know what I
While he has gotten more “I feel like during the filming and he has advocated for some time to get used to mean?”q