‘SPACE DERN’ PROUD TO BE A STAR WARS HEROINE
Actress was having a big 2017 even before blockbuster, with lauded roles on Big Little Lies and Twin Peaks
Reverberating throughout the 40year-old Star Wars franchise, one refrain has always held the galaxy together: “May the Force be with you.” Emotional, stirring and, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, even elegiac, the line takes on new meaning in scenes the late Carrie Fisher shares with Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Holdo, one of the leaders of Gen. Leia Organa’s Resistance and the enigmatic new character whose principles lead the saga into its next chapter.
Speaking a week into the release of The Last Jedi, Dern was effusive with love for her character, the film and its writer-director, Rian Johnson. And to answer one of the most urgent questions to come out of Star Wars: The Last Jedi: yes, Laura Dern will now henceforth — proudly — answer to the title “Space Dern.”
In fact, the affectionate honorific was bestowed upon Dern out of sheer fan demand by Vulture writer Kyle Buchanan even before the first image of her lilac-haired, cosmic-coutured Holdo hit the internet. But it earned special resonance with the release of The Last Jedi when the true magnitude of Space Dern and all she stands for were revealed in Holdo’s unforgettable acts in some of the film’s most memorable scenes.
The Oscar-nominated actress, whose year included an Emmywinning turn on HBO’s Big Little Lies and a lauded role as another woman of mystery in Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival, also endorsed a new moniker to consider for the future of Star Wars: “Space Lynch.” Read on, but beware: there are spoilers ahead.
Did you know that the internet has been referring to you as “Space Dern” since long before we got a glimpse of Holdo in her purplehaired glory? And do you now, in fact, answer to Space Dern? (Laughs) That is hilarious! And yes, you can refer to me as “Space Dern” from this point forward. Maybe no one else will, but I’m going to ask my children to.
Vice Admiral Holdo is a great new character who has one of the most surprising turns in The Last Jedi. How was she first described to you and what additional qualities did you discover in bringing her to life? (Rian Johnson) invited me to lunch to talk about what he was working on and it was not made clear what the film was.
But the first thing he described was this quality of someone who is so steadfast that you don’t know what side they’re on because they don’t need the rest of the world to know their plans. The kind of person — the kind of woman — who is clear in her voice and even in the company of men questioning her doesn’t need to justify her behaviour or her choices, because if she was outspoken about it, it might not allow the plan to have room.
It feels particularly relevant for a mainstream movie, let alone a Star Wars movie, to say so much, so boldly about feminine heroism, authority and emotional intelligence as key elements of leadership. Especially in the zeitgeist of all we’re thinking about in terms of who women are in positions of power and not being impacted by abuses of power; I just feel really proud to be part of that storyline in a film that’s being seen so widely, and by a generation of girls and boys that we’re all raising. All these characters are equally complicated, diverse and powerfully heroic . . . I just love it.
You and Carrie sat down with Rian and helped shape your powerful “May the Force be with you” scene. What was that experience like? Being around Carrie was an irreplaceable gift of a lifetime. It moves me that it exists and that, obviously, we could have had no way of knowing the impact it would have. For her to pass down this “I’ve said it enough” idea . . . the whole thing was so powerful. Even then, I remember she was like, “Whoa. May the Force be with you — always. I’ve never heard that.” It got her teary and me teary, because it was like imparting a prayer.
It’s difficult enough for fans to divorce Carrie from Leia and her place within this influential franchise when you watch The Last Jedi. What do you see in her performance when you watch it? She really was our first true heroine. The light and the dark is not the story of Star Wars; the story of Star Wars is the story of the grey. We’re all capable of both and we have to wrestle with that inside. Brilliantly, Mark Hamill always says Star Wars is the story of a dysfunctional family. It’s that too!
For us growing up it was like, “Oh! Women can be sensual and complicated and tough and fiery, and be a badass and be a superhero.” To witness her performance you see the wisdom she held at this point in her life, her art, her irreverence, her un- believable sense of comedy, and her relationship and dynamic with Rian, who really wanted it to be an homage to Leia.
What does it mean to you that Holdo has become the first LGBTQ character in the Star Wars films, albeit indirectly, thanks to the canonical back story fleshed out in the new young Leia novel? Did you have that in mind when you played her? To be honest, I was not aware of the details of the book (at the time of filming). But what I love about the world that they have created is that this world is meant to represent us and the Resistance is meant to represent us: what the world actually looks like, not some made-up, archaic concept of who represents the world. And I think they have and will continue to work diligently to represent everyone. I look forward to a character being deeply represented in terms of their sexuality. I know that none of us would have any problem, and only joy, if anybody wants to put (an LGBTQ identity) onto my character or any character in this film.
Looking at Star Wars in the context of the greater Laura Dern Cinematic Universe, you were also a part of this year’s Twin Peaks revival. We know that David Lynch was approached to direct a Star Wars film years ago, but could you get behind him joining this reborn franchise? (Pauses dramatically) All I can say is, I’ve never wanted to see anything more. I mean, who do we start begging?
I’m pretty sure you’re the one with the best chance of making that happen . . . You’re our only hope. That’s something to think about! Because what’s incredible is that David has been living in a boundaryless world of cinema forever and I know what an inspiration he is to all the filmmakers I work with. It’s what they want to talk about. Rian and I speak about him often . . . I mean, I’m Space Dern, I’m his muse, he’s got to be Space Lynch. Spread the word!