While Star Wars: The Last Jedi is full of new faces, the newest to most audiences will be Kelly Marie Tran. Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern are famous actors who have been around for some time and starred in some notable movies. But newcomer Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose Tico in the film, was a working actress who nearly quit acting at one point. Landing a role in one of the biggest franchise on the planet is a rocket ship to stardom, and it can be a disorienting and overwhelming ride. But Kelly Marie Tran is taking a lesson on fame from another Star Wars actress, the iconic and incomparable Carrie Fisher. Speaking at the Star Wars: The Last Jedi press conference in Los Angeles, Kelly Marie Tran relayed what she learned from the woman behind Princess Leia.
Something about Carrie I really look up to --- and it's something I didn't realize until recently --- is how much courage it takes to truly be yourself when you're on a public platform or constantly people will be looking at you. She was so unapologetic and so openly herself and that's something I'm really trying to do, and it's hard.
If you're going to look up to someone for how they handled the spotlight, Carrie Fisher is not a bad choice. Fame comes with a level of stress and scrutiny that most people are not prepared for. Having your every action recorded, disseminated and critiqued can have a profound effect on the way you present yourself. Do you present an idealized version of yourself or do you use your platform to try and say something? There could also be an impulse to be some kind of role model given your influence. All of these facets of fame can change both your public face and your private one. Carrie Fisher instead eschewed any sort of incentive to present a false version of herself to the public. Being yourself, whoever that is, while under the microscope of fame takes a level of courage and confidence that not a lot of people have.
Carrie Fisher was fearless and frequently not politically correct. She had a morbid and hilarious sense of humor. She didn't give a damn what other people thought of her, and people loved her for it. Her lessons about fame are astute, and will serve Kelly Marie Tran well. Co-stars Daisy Ridley and John Boyega have taken well to their newfound fame and have already broken out from their Star Wars roles. Kelly Marie Tran's Rose is the new character Rian Johnson is most excited about, and given this breakout role, the young actress presumably has a bright career and a great deal of fame ahead of her. If she follows Carrie Fisher's example, she should be just fine.
You can see the dearly departed Carrie Fisher, as well as Kelly Mare Tran's debut in a galaxy far, far away, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, in theaters on December 15. You can pre-order your tickets for opening weekend now.
