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Why ‘Star Wars’ Star Kelly Marie Tran is The Hero Asians Need

Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff

December 16, 2017

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    Meet Kelly Marie Tran.

    Unless, you’ve been living under a rock, she plays mechanic “Rose Tico” in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”.

    Her role makes her the FIRST Asian-American woman to play a lead in a Star Wars film.

    #Repost @disneystudios Last night was one of the best nights of my life, and honestly, I truly think it’s because I let myself feel ALL the feelings. YOU GUYS. I cried my way through the ENTIRE red carpet! I was basically a ball of emotion — from pure excitement to overwhelming joy. It was an unforgettable night, one to celebrate a series of unforgettable moments from an experience that I will be reliving in my mind for the rest of my life. It feels like both an ending and a beginning. Thank you to everyone that helped put me here — you know who you are. Thank you to my family and friends for getting me through the hard times. And thanks to YOU, for following along on this wonderfully bizarre, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Lots of love, now off to London! ✈️❤️

    A post shared by Kelly Marie Tran (@kellymarietran) on

    This past summer, she became the First Asian woman to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair.

    However her backstory is even more inspiring. Her parents are refugees who fled the Vietnam War to start a new life in the U.S.

    After they moved, her father had to work at Burger King to support the family while her mom worked at a funeral home — a classic immigrant story many of us could relate to.

    [part 2 of 2, for part 1, refer to previous post 😊💁🏻] What I didn’t know four years ago, was that my second appearance on Jimmy Kimmel would be quite different than my first. 😢 This time, I’d be wearing this beautiful dress that @waymanandmicah picked out for me. I’d have my hair done by the incredible @marktownsend1, my makeup done by the super talented @storyofmailife…. and I’d have MY ACTUAL NAME on a dressing room. 😢😢😢 I didn’t know back then that I’d be in the middle of a press tour for a STAR WARS movie (WHAT?!) and that I’d be in it for more than four seconds (DOUBLE WHAT?!?!). I guess what I’m saying is… if you have a crazy dream, something that’s impossible, something that seems out of your grasp, KEEP DOING THE WORK and also, be a good person. One day, someone amazing (and crazy?) — like @riancjohnson ❤️ —might just give you a shot, and when you get there — WHICH YOU WILL — you, too, will be constantly pinching yourself and trying to take in every single little moment. 😢❤️😭Anyway, we are a little less than two weeks away now. Are you crying? Because I am. LOVE TO ALL MY FELLOW DREAMERS. Thank you for reading and experiencing this with me. 😭😭😭😭😭

    A post shared by Kelly Marie Tran (@kellymarietran) on

    She has Asian Pride and isn’t afraid to show it.

    Growing up, I’ve always felt I was from two different worlds. I was born in the US, but my parents were born in Vietnam, and they raised my sisters and I with the parenting methods of the Vietnamese culture. So much of me is because of what my parents experienced in this country. So much of me is because of the things my parents overcame so that I could have the luxury of having a dream. I see so much of me reflected in the people here, and so much of them reflected in me. I AM SO PROUD of being a Vietnamese-American. Here is a photo of myself and @ngothanhvan_official wearing Áo Dài while promoting Jedi Cuối Cùng (The Last Jedi). Thank you for having us, Vietnam! I CAN’T WAIT for you to meet the Tico sisters! ❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛

    A post shared by Kelly Marie Tran (@kellymarietran) on

    She is so humble and grateful for the opportunity given to her.

    I mean, c’mon! Just look at her! How can you not love this amazing human being?

    She don’t give a **** about Hollywood snobbiness.

    She’s got no shame and we absolutely love it!

    She’s photogenic AF.

    [part 2 of 4, I’m insane and this is my online journal. Check the previous post to start at the beginning of this series of rambling 😬] We live in a world where we’re taught to pick each other apart, bring each other down. We’re constantly told by the media what we’re supposed to look like. Did you know that sometimes I go to fittings and people don’t know how to dress me because I’m a shorter, curvier person? Sometimes when I’m getting ready for events, people don’t know how to do my makeup because my eyes are different. People are so used to the norm, they’re confused by something different. Whenever I’m in these situations, whenever I feel weird or different or misunderstood, I ask myself one question: “Am I the crazy one, or is the rest of the world crazy?” (Okay, I didn’t make this question up, it’s an improv technique. 😂😂😂) Anyway, this is what I ask myself when I can’t fit into the size zero/size two clothes that are the standards at fittings. This is what I ask myself when someone says an off-handed remark about how I look, or when someone is just generally confused by my existence. Most of the time, I come to the conclusion that the world has taught us that beauty has a very narrow definition. And seeing that while you’re growing up is really horrible and really unfair. 📷: @professor_ohlsson, featured in @elleusa

    A post shared by Kelly Marie Tran (@kellymarietran) on

    She can SING.

    Best of all, she’s HILARIOUS AF.

    Photo on the left is taken by the amazing @professor_ohlsson, for @marieclairemag. Photo on the right is taken by my amazing Mom, for … my Instagram. 😂😂 I’m still weirded out when I see photos of myself in magazines. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it. I’m still learning to love all sides of me, from the I-can’t-believe-I’m-in- @marieclairemag side to the I-made-my-mom-take-this-pic-even-though-it’s-too-sunny-to-smile side. I’m still learning, and being open about that is helping. I think everyone is in process, and it’s okay to be open about that! 🗣🗣🗣🗣HEY INTERNET, I AM AN UNFINISHED HUMAN AND I AM IMPERFECT AND I AM OKAY WITH MYSELF!! I think it’s time to take back our power, and realize that everything we need is already inside of us. Is that cliché? Maybe. Is it something that I STILL have to constantly remind myself? Absolutely. YOU ARE ENOUGH, even if you forget and have to remind yourself sometimes. Celebrate yourself. All sides of you. You deserve it. Also, take silly photos. Listen to the ‘Nsync Holiday album. It always makes me feel better. 😊🎄🎅🏿 PS THANKS MOM, YOU ARE A REAL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER✌🏼🧝🏼‍♀️🦄💁🏻📷😂

    A post shared by Kelly Marie Tran (@kellymarietran) on

    Her story is the ultimate fairy-tale.

    I tried to keep it together last night, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop crying for awhile. Doing my first movie and the subsequent press tour was a lot like falling in love for the first time — exciting, terrifying, and full of surprises. I fell in love with this experience, deeply and truly — without caution and without walls. There are so few moments in life that are truly, 100% inexplicable, and for me, the past two years have been composed purely of those moments. This movie is almost out now. I’m so excited for you to see it, but there’s also a strange part of me that isn’t ready. See, the release of this film marks the end of my Last Jedi press tour experience, and maybe, the end of my first love. As weird as this sounds, my dumb, stupid little heart isn’t ready to say goodbye. I HAVE LOVED IT SO MUCH. 😢💔 But deep down, I know this moment doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to everyone who made this movie. Maybe even more, it belongs to anyone who has ever had a seemingly impossible dream, anyone who has ever loved a world outside of their own. @riancjohnson made a @starwars movie and I got to be in it. Miracles happen. Dreams are achievable. Believe in them. But more importantly, believe in yourself. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE 😭❤️🚀🌌

    A post shared by Kelly Marie Tran (@kellymarietran) on

    Keep doing what you doing Kelly Marie Tran!

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