By George & Josh Bate
House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke made headlines this week for revealing that she auditioned to play Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, an audition she succinctly described as “shit.” But Cooke is far from the only actor who has confirmed that they auditioned to play a key role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Here is every actor who officially auditioned to play a part in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Olivia Cooke – Rey
As stated, Olivia Cooke told Joshua Horwitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that she auditioned to play Rey in the sequel trilogy.
“I was shit,” Cooke explained. “I was really bad. You know when you go into an audition, and you’re just not bringing it,” Cooke explained. “You’ve let yourself and everyone down in the room. Daisy did such an amazing job. I just wasn’t that kind of an actor at that time. You know, it wasn’t a fit.”
Jessica Henwick – Rey
Another Game of Thrones universe alum also was under consideration for the role of Rey.
Jessica Henwick, who played Nymeria Sand in Game of Thrones and is best known for her role as Colleen Wing in Iron Fist, discussed how she auditioned for Rey in an interview with Radiotimes.
“I look back now and realise it was for the best,” Henwick said. “I don’t think I am the type of person who would be able to handle that level of exposure that fast. I much prefer the slow burn.”
BIllie Lourd – Rey
Before being cast as Kaydel Ko Connix, Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd was up for the role of Rey in the sequel trilogy.
In an interview on The Ellen Show, Lourd said, “J.J. Abrams called me to come in for ‘Star Wars’ because he couldn’t find someone for the lead,” she explained. “I went in and he ended up giving me this tiny role with a couple lines and I was super excited. I didn’t know what was going to happen, ended up going and fell in love with it — was weirdly singing Jersey Boys on set, really comfortable.”
Saoirse Ronan – Rey
Four-time Academy Award winner Saoirse Ronan also auditioned to play Rey.
Speaking with Empire Magazine, Ronan revealed, ““Yeah, I did [audition for Star Wars Episode VII]… I don’t know whether I should have said that now! I mean, everyone did. Everyone has auditioned for it. So many people I know have gone in for the part I’ve gone in for, and guys who’ve gone in for a particular part, so I’d imagine J.J. is probably just scanning the earth to find the people that he needs.”
Eiza González – Rey
Eiza González also opened up about how she put her name in the hat to play Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
I had a callback, and then I didn’t really know what I was auditioning for, and then I had another callback, and I was like, ‘What is happening?’” explained González on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner on Me podcast. “ And then, long story short, it turned out I was auditioning for Star Wars, for The Force Awakens. I didn’t know what I was doing. I had no idea it was Star Wars until I walked in and saw J.J. Abrams. ‘I was like, ohhh, this is big.’”
Tom Holland – Finn
Spider-Man actor Tom Holland told Backstage that he auditioned to play Finn in the Star Wars sequels.
“I remember my audition for Star Wars, I was like four or five auditions in, and I think I was auditioning for John Boyega’s role,” recalled Holland. “I remember doing this scene with this lady, bless her, and she was just a drone. So I was doing all of this, like, “We gotta get back to the ship!” And she was going, “Bleep, bloop bloop, bleep bloop.” I just couldn’t stop laughing. I found it so funny. And I felt really bad, because she was trying really hard to be a convincing android or drone or whatever they’re called. Yeah, I obviously didn’t get the part. That wasn’t my best moment.”
Jesse Plemons – Finn
Jesse Plemons auditioned for a lead role in the sequel trilogy, heavily rumored to be Finn.
“I went in, gave a terrible audition,” Plemons told The Independent. “I had no idea what I was doing… it was just these scenes without any context. J.J. Abrams was really nice, but I was spiralling.”
Michael B. Jordan – Finn
Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan reportedly read for the role of Finn in the sequel trilogy. Jordan described it as “probably my worst audition to date.”
“I think it was I couldn’t wrap my brain around some of the sides because you know when you’re reading for these high-level projects, there’s never really any specificity in the sides,” Jordan told Variety. “Everything’s like super vague; everything is in secret. Reading through, I just couldn’t connect it. I definitely bombed that one for sure.”
Michael Fassbender – Poe Dameron
Michael Fassbender opened up about being in the running for a lead role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Fassbender denied that the role was for Kylo Ren, leaving Poe Dameron as the logical remaining role that he auditioned for.
On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Fassbender joked, “It was Yoda’s grandfather; he never made it into the actual movie.”
Eddie Redmayne – Kylo Ren
The only officially confirmed to have auditioned to play Kylo Ren, other than Adam driver, is Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne.
In an interview with Uproxx, Redmayne described his audition. “They gave me like a ‘Star Trek’ scene — or like something from ‘Pride and Prejudice,’” he explained. “It was one of those films. With films that top secret, they don’t give you the actual lines. So they give you a scene from ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ but then they tell you you’re auditioning for the baddie. If you’re me, you then put some ridiculous voice on.”
“That was really a hilarious moment. Because it was Nina Gold — who I have to thank a lot because she’s cast me in several films — and she was just sitting there and I was trying again and again with different versions of my kind of ‘koohh paaaah’ [Darth Vader breathing sound] voice,” Redmayne continued. “And after like 10 shots she’s like, ‘You got anything else?’ I was like, ‘No.’”