Raya and the Last Dragon: Vietnamese-American actress Kelly Marie Tran made history in Star Wars, now she’s starring as Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess

Well known from her breakthrough role in the Star Wars franchise – starring as Rose Tico in The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – Kelly Marie Tran makes history again voicing the lead princess role in Disney’s first animation based on Southeast Asian cultures, Raya and the Last Dragon.

Humble beginnings

With a few minor roles here and there, Tran started her acting career appearing in short films, TV and appearing in a few sketches on internet comedy platform CollegeHumour. The children of Vietnamese refugees who fled the war, Tran credits her Hollywood success with the parents’ for giving her a chance in life. Despite this, the San Diego native and UCLA graduate worked multiple jobs while auditioning to make ends meet, before her big break in 2017.

Groundbreaking cover

Not only did she make an unforgettable appearance as the strong and powerful Rose Tico, Tran broke bounds again by becoming the first Asian woman to feature on the cover of Vanity Fair in September 2017, in celebration of Star Wars’ 40th anniversary.

Animation takeover

Tran has scored many firsts in Hollywood as a women of colour. Her first big break did not go unnoticed, as the first Asian-American woman cast for a major role in the Star Wars franchise. Tran continues to add to her list of achievements with the much-anticipated upcoming Disney animation Raya and the Last Dragon, a story inspired by a blend of Southeast Asian cultures, set to release in March 2021. Tran is also featuring as the voice of Val Little in the new Monsters at Work series releasing in 2021.