Newcomer Tran thrilled to be in film & honor kin
BEFORE SHE joined the “Star Wars” universe, Kelly Marie Tran nearly lost all hope she'd ever make it as an actress.
Tran – who plays newcomer Rose Tico in the upcoming “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” – was mired in a full-time office job a few years ago and a regular at casting auditions that never seemed to lead to her big break.
Any time she thought of quitting she used her parents' struggles as an inspiration.
“My parents are both refugees from Vietnam, and they spent their whole lives working towards a reality where my sisters and I would have choice,” Tran, 28, told the Daily News. "That was purely it. My parents never had the luxury of having a dream.
“I remember thinking I was living for multiple generations, and if I wasn’t pursuing something that made me happy, if I wasn't really living to my fullest, then I wouldn’t really be doing them justice.”
Her persistence paid off in an astronomical way in 2015, when “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson cast her as Rose following a five-month audition process.
Tran’s working-class journey somewhat mirrors that of her character, as Rose works a nonglorious job as a maintenance worker for the Resistance before embarking on an adventure with John Boyega’s Finn.
“She’s someone who's used to being in the background of the Resistance, and in this movie … she kind of gets pulled to the forefront of it,” Tran said.
Rose is the first major female Asian character in a “Star Wars” movie – a reality Tran views as an honor and a responsibility.
The entire experience has been a dream come true for her.
“Walking on that set, even that first day, and being in my costume and having my hair and makeup done, and then turning and seeing Finn, and then seeing Poe, and then seeing C-3PO and getting a hug from C-3PO,” Tran said. “All of those moments, it’s otherworldly.”