Olivia Cooke has joined the long list of actors who came close to landing one of the most coveted roles in recent Hollywood history. The House of the Dragon star revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that she auditioned for the role of Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the part that ultimately went to Daisy Ridley in The Force Awakens in 2015.
Cooke’s Candid Confession
Cooke was refreshingly candid about how it went. “I was shit. I was really bad,” she said. “You know when you go into an audition, and you’re just not bringing it. You’ve let yourself and everyone down in the room.” She revealed she auditioned multiple times, once in Los Angeles and again directly with director J.J. Abrams, before Ridley was chosen. She also clarified a long-standing rumor, confirming she was never in the running for Rose Tico in The Last Jedi as some had speculated.
Despite the painful memory, Cooke has no hard feelings. “Daisy did such an amazing job. I just wasn’t that kind of an actor at that time. It just wasn’t a fit,” she said.
A Role That Defined A Generation
Rey went on to become one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars universe. Ridley’s portrayal of the Jakku scavenger turned Jedi across the sequel trilogy, spanning The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker, introduced Star Wars to an entirely new generation of fans. The casting process for the role was notoriously secretive and wide-ranging, with Cooke noting that “everyone and their dog auditioned” for the part.
Cooke is now best known for playing Alicent Hightower in HBO’s House of the Dragon, earning significant critical praise across two seasons of the Game of Thrones prequel.
Ridley Returns As Rey
Daisy Ridley is set to reprise the role of Rey in an upcoming Star Wars film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, currently in development at Lucasfilm. The film picks up after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and follows Rey as she attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order. A release date has not been officially confirmed. For more Star Wars news, check out our coverage of The Mandalorian and Grogu film currently in production.
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