Kelly Marie Tran breaks silence on her reduced part in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

While opinions on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker were mixed among fans, most could agree that Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico being pushed into the background after such a prominent role in The Last Jedi felt out-of-step with the franchise. The actress, however, has responded to fan criticism in a recent interview by saying she was happy with the overall role she played in a galaxy far, far away.

“When you’re in something of that calibre, there’s always people working to make something out of love, and no matter what you do, there’s always going to be people who aren’t happy with that,” Tran told MTV News during the Oscars 2020 red carpet.

Far from being unhappy about her time in the Star Wars universe, Tran said, “I’m really grateful that I got to be a part of it.”

When asked about her part specifically, Tran said: “I think that I’m just amazed at the way that [director] J.J. Abrams was able to sort of wrap up all these incredible stories. There were so many characters… I got to be part of something bigger than me and that’s something really special.”

While Tran didn’t bring up the possibility of some of her scenes being left on the cutting room floor, her co-star Dominic Monaghan recently called for a Rise of Skywalker extended cut and also revealed that “there was so much stuff filmed that didn’t make it to the theatrical version.”

Catch up on the 92nd Academy Awards with our Oscars 2020 recap, featuring all the major moments and talking points from this year’s show.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Latest in Star Wars Movies
The Rise of Skywalker
Despite those retirement reports, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy is "very involved" in the Rey Star Wars movie, according to Daisy Ridley
Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
After 26 years, a secret Star Wars reference to George Lucas has been uncovered: "We got a new Phantom Menace Easter Egg before GTA 6"
Liam Neeson in The Phantom Menace
"Wise mentor" or "awful Jedi"? Star Wars fans are debating if Qui-Gon Jinn is to blame for Anakin's turn to the dark side
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Longlegs director pitches horrifying Star Wars movie with Darth Vader, and we want it to happen
Werner Herzog in The Mandalorian
Star Wars fans are sharing their favorite unbelievable canon cameos – and some of them are seriously deep-cut
Kathleen Kennedy standing with a bunch of Stormtroopers
Star Wars' Kathleen Kennedy debunks retirement reports, as she shares plans for the future of Lucasfilm: "I will die making movies"
Latest in News
Overwatch 2
My hopes for an Overwatch anime or Diablo horror movie are going strong as Blizzard president points out "we are Blizzard Entertainment, and not simply Blizzard Games"
The New Thunderbolts leaping into action
Marvel's New Thunderbolts* comic steals the MCU's asterisk, and the reason why is just as big of a mystery
Pokemon Go players brace for the worst as Niantic is sold off for $3.5 billion: "This game is entering its death knell"
Stamp PSP
A 16-year-old pitch for a newly discovered first-party PSP game has me mourning the death of PlayStation's Japan Studio all over again
Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion actor Neil Newbon says he "got rid of" agents who deliberately kept him away from video game gigs: "They just didn't want me to do it"
Mass Effect
Jennifer Hale says she didn't see a single line as Mass Effect's Commander Shepard until it was time to record: "It was all cold reading on the spot"