Former Star Wars actor Kelly Marie Tran has looked back on the abuse she received for her role in The Last Jedi, pointing to the disproportionate attention actors of colour receive from toxic fans online.
- READ MORE: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ – Film Review
Tran played Rose Tico in the 2017 film, becoming the first Asian-American to have a major role in the franchise (Tran is of Vietnamese descent). Following the film’s release, she almost immediately became the target of racist and sexist abuse on social media.
Online encyclopedia entries about her character were edited by trolls to include abusive descriptions, while being forced to move away from her Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Many co-stars and fans came to the actor’s defence, but the experience still left its mark.
Speaking to Variety, Tran spoke about appearing in The Wedding Banquet, one of four films that she has made recently that centre Asian narratives, and how it compares to her time working on the blockbusters.
“I’ve been able to learn how to celebrate the parts of myself that, at the time, I was scared of, or I was made to feel like I had to be ashamed of,” she said. “I remember looking back and thinking, ‘Wow! How crazy is it the thing that I was persecuted for, I now get to make art about?’”
Looking back on her experiences with the Sci-fi franchise, she thinks “the world” needs to change in order for there to be better support for people from different backgrounds to receive the support they need when in the Hollywood spotlight.
“It’s interesting how it seems to be happening pretty consistently to actors of colour who find themselves in these spaces” she said. “And I think these occurrences are a microcosm for the social climate that we’re living in. And it’s really unfortunate… We live in a world where those identities have been weaponised so that people are not able to see the bigger picture.
“I really just want people to recognise, it’s the system that’s the problem. Stop scapegoating people of colour or queer people or anyone who’s different”.
Tran has remained part of the larger Star Wars universe, providing the voice of Rose Tico in various animated productions.
English (US) · 