Ever wonder what it’s like auditioning for one of the biggest film franchises in history? Kelly Marie Tran explained just that on an episode of Collider Ladies Night. While celebrating the recent Blu-ray release of Raya and the Last Dragon, Tran took some time to chat and retrace her steps to her most recent accomplishments. Of course, that meant discussing the film that changed it all, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Prior to joining the Star Wars film franchise as Resistance mechanic Rose Tico, Tran was working hard to break through by making her mark in the improv and sketch comedy scene. Little did she know, she was bound for an audition that would send her star soaring in Hollywood via a single film.

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Image via Lucasfilm

How exactly does the process of auditioning for a Star Wars movie even begin? Here’s how it went for Tran:

“I remember getting an email, just like you normally would for an audition, but the email said the project was ‘The Untitled Rian Johnson Project,’ which after a little bit of light Googling, it was pretty clear that he was doing Episode 8.”

As we’ve come to expect from major franchises like Star Wars, the MCU and more, the folks in charge will do everything possible to preserve the mystery until the films are ready for the big screen. Their efforts to keep plot details under wraps doesn’t just apply to us fans; there are also measures in place to keep that information top secret during the audition phase. Tran continued:

“We didn’t get sides to prepare. They wouldn’t even let you have them. So we would get to the audition and then you’d be given these sides that were printed on red paper so that you wouldn’t take them with you.”

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Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

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As though figuring out you’re auditioning for a Star Wars movie isn’t high pressure enough, then you’re challenged to jump into a cold read with little to no information about the character you’re reading for. While it sounds like something that might spark sky high nerves, Tran found a way to center herself and make the most of what she had:

“It was essentially a cold read, was the first audition. And I remember the character description said, ‘20s, female, character-y,’ and that was it. You didn’t really know anything about it. So yeah, it was wild. I will say, the best thing that I did was probably just try as much as possible to be present in the moment and pay attention to what the scene was about, as opposed to trying to act a genre or play to a specific universe if that makes sense.”

If you’re wondering what material she received for that cold read, it’s actually two scenes you can see in the finished movie!

“There were two scenes and one of them was a scene between myself and John Boyega, Finn. It’s the casino scene where we’re looking for the Master Codebreaker and then the sort of monologue scene where Rose is talking about wanting to put her fist through this lousy, beautiful town.”

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Image via Lucasfilm

If you’re eager to hear more from Tran on Star Wars, Raya and beyond, be sure to check out our full Collider Ladies Night conversation using the podcast embed below:

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