Kelly Marie Tran wanted her ‘Star Wars’ character’s backstory to be "as personal as possible".
The 28-year-old actress joined the popular sci-fi franchise as Resistance fighter Rose Tico in the eighth instalment ‘The Last Jedi’, but although scenes with her on-screen sister were cut, Tran knew her character’s backstory and she even created an "audiobook".
Speaking to Detroit Free Press, Tran said: "We actually had lines in the movie that were cut out that said exactly where they were from.
"So I did know their backstory in terms of that, but other than that I tried to make it as personal as possible.
"Even if it wasn’t something that was canon, I made that relationship in my mind. I think as an actor you create things for your character that you think will make it more personal to you, because on the day you want to make sure that you’re truly there in the moment.
"So for me, I invented these things – and then I ended up doing this audiobook and finding out what in the canon is their true story."
‘The Last Jedi’ has been met with mixed reviews but has also been hailed for being one of the most diverse films in the hit franchise.
And Tran, who was born in San Diego after her parents emigrated to the US from Vietnam, said it was an "honour" and "responsibility" to represent Asian people in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’.
She said: "A lot of ‘Star Wars’ fans who are specifically Asian never had a character they could dress up like, or they would and people would always call them ‘Asian Rey’ or ‘Asian fill-in-the-blank.’
"I get very emotional when I see people who are able to identify with this character. That means a lot to me and I don’t think it will ever get old.
"It’s been both an honour and a responsibility. I feel so overwhelmed. I remember what it felt like to not see anyone like myself in books or on film or on TV.
"When you’re really young, you tend to fall in love with characters. If you start seeing the same type of character everywhere and realise that they don’t look like you, or they don’t speak like you, you start wanting to change who you are.
"That’s something that I did when I was a young kid. I’m excited to be a part of this positive change."
Kelly Marie Tran wanted a personal backstory in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
