Kelly Marie Tran
Kelly Marie Tran | |
|---|---|
| File:Kelly Marie Tran in Untouchable.jpg Kelly Marie Tran in Untouchable (2011) | |
| Born | January 17, 1989 San Diego, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi |
Kelly Marie Tran (born January 17, 1989) is an American actress. She has had roles in short films and television episodes, and came to wider attention for her role as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the eighth episodic film in the Star Wars series.[1]
Early life
Kelly Marie Tran was born on January 17, 1989 in San Diego, California, USA. Her parents are refugee migrants from Vietnam who fled the country following the Vietnam War.[2][3] As a child, her father was homeless and grew up on the streets of Vietnam.[4] After moving to the United States, he worked at Burger King to support the family, and his wife worked at a funeral home.[5]
Tran attended Westview High School in San Diego and worked at a yogurt shop to earn money for head shots.[6][4] Tran then graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.A. in Communications.[5][7]
Career
Tran spent her early years in Los Angeles auditioning for small parts and doing improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Second City. In 2013, she starred in the web series Ladies Like Us. She also appeared in various CollegeHumor videos.[8]
In 2015, Tran was cast as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rose Tico is a rebel mechanic who joins up with main character Finn after the sacrifice of her sister, Paige Tico (Veronica Ngo), a gunner trained by Resistance Air Force commander Poe Dameron.[9] She was unable to tell her family that she had won the role. When she went to film her scenes at Pinewood Studios in early 2016, she said she was filming a small movie in Canada.[10] With her role in The Last Jedi, Tran became the first Asian-American woman to play a leading role in a Star Wars film.[8] In 2017, she also became the first Asian woman to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair when she appeared on the cover of the summer 2017 issue with John Boyega and Oscar Isaac.[11]
Despite the critical and box office success of The Last Jedi, Tran received racially charged online attacks from people who disliked the character of Rose Tico.[12][13] In addition, right-wing vlogger Paul Ray Ramsey posted a tweet attacking Tran's appearance.[14] In response to racially-tinged fan criticism, attorney Anthony Nguyen praised Tran for being "the first woman of color to be cast in a leading role in the Star Wars franchise". Condemning the racist attacks, Nguyen remarked that "people of color, especially Asian-Americans, are grossly underrepresented in TV and film."[15] In addition, freelance writer and journalist Nicole Karlis opined that attacks on Tran's race and appearance reflected a fear of women who broke sexist stereotypes.[16]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Untouchable | Jamie | Short film |
| 2011 | The Rising Cost of Cosmetics | Chun Hei Park | Short film |
| 2011 | Impressions | Alice | Short film |
| 2011 | Hot Girls on the Beach | Boba Chick/Student | Segment: "Great White Shark Movie" |
| 2012 | The Cohasset Snuff Film | Christine Chan | Uncredited |
| 2013 | Andy's CDs | Kelly | Short film |
| 2016 | XOXO | Butterfly Rave Girl | |
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Rose Tico |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | This Indie Girl | Hero Girl | Episode: "Just the Way It Is" |
| 2012 | Fabulous High | Sierra Mar Student #4 | Television film |
| 2013–15 | Ladies Like Us | Kelly/Larry | Television series |
| 2014–16 | CollegeHumor Originals | Full Asian/Kate/Kelly/Startup "Foodler" Girl/Melissa/Amber | Television series |
| 2014–16 | Life on Normal Street | Sara | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | To the Bridge | Lydia | Pilot episode |
| 2014 | About a Boy | Marguerite | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Hope & Randy | Tina | Television mini-series |
| 2014 | Currently Cool | Jenny | Episode: "Baby Daddy Daddy Daddy" |
| 2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Teen Friend | Episode: "Thomas Middleditch Wears an Enigmatic Sweatshirt and Sweatpants with Pockets" |
| 2015 | Ladies Like Us: The Rise of Neighborhood Watch | Larry | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Adam Ruins Everything | Sharon/Phone Woman | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Discount Fitness | Betsy | Episode: "Goal Met" |
| 2016 | Pub Quiz | Asia | Television film |
| 2016 | History of the World...For Now | Daughter | Episode #1.4 |
| 2016 | Fall Into Me | Eva | Episode: "British Billionaire" |
| 2016 | Sing It! | Twinkle Twinkle Auditioner | Episode: "THE SHOW BEGINS!" |
References
- ^ Yee, Lawrence (April 14, 2017). "Meet Rose, the 'Biggest New Part' in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'". Variety.
- ^ Yam, Kimberly (November 30, 2017). "Kelly Marie Tran Promotes 'The Last Jedi' In Traditional Vietnamese Garb". HuffPost.
- ^ Jasper, Marykate (December 10, 2017). "Kelly Marie Tran, the Daughter of Refugees, Couldn't Help Crying with Joy at the Last Jedi Premiere". The Mary Sue.
- ^ a b Flaherty, Keely (November 14, 2017). "Kelly Marie Tran: The Rise of Rose". Buzzfeed News.
- ^ a b Plattner, Seth (December 10, 2017). "Kelly Marie Tran Is Bringing a New Brand of Hero to Star Wars". Elle.
- ^ Rocha, Michael James (February 15, 2016). "San Diego native joins 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' cast". San Diego Union-Tribune.
- ^ Dornbush, Jonathon (February 15, 2016). "Who is Star Wars: Episode VIII actress Kelly Marie Tran?". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Hiatt, Brian (December 12, 2017). "'The Last Jedi's New Hope: Meet 'Star Wars' Breakout Kelly Marie Tran". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Kamp, David (March 24, 2017). "Cover Story: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Definitive Preview". Vanity Fair.
- ^ Yee, Lawrence (April 14, 2017). "Meet Rose, the 'Biggest New Part' in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'". Variety.
- ^ Truffaut-Wong, Olivia (May 24, 2017). "'The Last Jedi' Star Kelly Marie Tran Is The First Asian Woman To Cover 'Vanity Fair' & Her Appearance Couldn't Matter More". Bustle.
- ^ Menta, Anna (19 December 2017). "Racist Attacks Against Kelly Marie Tran posted to Rose Tico's Wookieepedia page". Newsweek. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ Moye, David (27 December 2017). "Kelly Marie Tran Of 'Last Jedi' Facing Racist, Sexist Comments Online". HuffPost. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ @ramzpaul (28 December 2017). "Huffington Post claims I am "racist" because I prefer a thin Korean actress over a chubby Vietnamese actress" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Attorney Anthony Nguyen Comments on the Racist Backlash Against Vietnamese-American Actress Kelly Marie Tran". Cision. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ Karlis, Nicole (29 December 2017). "Threats against Kelly Marie Tran highlight a fear of women who break sexist stereotypes". Salon. Retrieved 4 January 2018.