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You have this dream.
You want to be an actor.
Ed Miller/© 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved
But that possibility seems far, far away.
You have talent, but zero connections.
You love movies, and TV, and comedy.
Theyre a part of you.
So you want to be a part of them.
You go for it.
You leave everything you know and move to where they craft movies and TV.
To make ends meet, you take jobs you wouldnt mind losing if a better gig comes along.
You book a few small roles.
Then one day, after all that grueling work, a miracle happens.
You get your break.
Its a big one.
Almost too much to believe.
You get the lead in aStar Warsmovie.
It happened for Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Hayden Christensen, and Daisy Ridley.
WithThe Last Jedi, it has happened again for Kelly Marie Tran.
There was absolutely a moment, Tran tells EW.
The days were like that for years.
I remember thinking, This could be my life forever, she says.
Like, I could just never make it.
I could work this hard for the next 20 years of my life and still be struggling.
This was her twin suns moment.
There may be struggle ahead.
But also great adventure.
Do or do not, there is no try.
Tran definitely heeded the wise words of Yoda.
There are so few times in life where you are passionate about anything, she says.
Auditioning forStar Warsfelt like a longshot.
But the first round went well, then the second.
Then came a long run of callbacks.
The more real it became, the moreunrealit seemed.
Tryouts dont pay the rent, however.
I worked in an office.
I was like an assistant.
So, I would just answer phone calls, coordinate events, Tran says.
It was a great day job.
Finally, writer-director Rian Johnson scheduled another meet-up, right in the middle of her regular 9 to 5.
It was the most bizarre experience.
Inside I was like, Ugh!
Then came the announcement.
Then came the production.
Then came a whole cascade of happy-happy, joy-joy that struggling actors are unaccustomed to dealing with.
I still just sort of live my life the way that I was before, she says.
I dont know when I will feel that its different.
I hope that it is a move in a better direction.
Despite being aStar Warshero, she cant shake this stubborn feeling:Are these guys punking me, Tico?
I still dont really believe its real, Tran says.
Its not that far removed from me yet.
I get very sentimental over things like that.
Thats the bizarre thing about dreams.
When they come true, you’ve got the option to still feel like youre dreaming.
