'Star Wars' Actress Kelly Marie Tran Comes Out as Queer
Kelly Marie Tran has publicly come out as queer.
The 35-year-old made the announcement to 'Vanity Fair' while discussing her role in an upcoming remake of Ang Lee's 'The Wedding Banquet', revealing how the project resonates with her own life experiences.
The actress, known for her role in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," connected her personal journey to her character Angela in filmmaker Andrew Ahn's new production.
"I haven't said this publicly yet, but I'm a queer person," Tran announced. She noted that she was more than thrilled to be taking on a role she personally identified with this time around.
"The thing that really excited me about it was I got to play a person that I felt like I knew. I don't feel like I'm acting at all in this movie," she added.
"I'm here doing this amazing movie with these amazing people," said Tran. "I've never been in a queer space before. I've never truly felt this accepted before."
The film features Tran alongside Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone as a couple pursuing IVF treatment, with a subplot involving a green card marriage scheme. The cast includes 'Saturday Night Live's' Bowen Yang and Oscar winner Yuh-Jung Youn, with industry veteran Joan Chen playing Tran's on-screen mother.
Tran revealed that scenes with Chen mirror her own coming out experience with her mother, adding authenticity to her performance, which is part of the reason she felt comfortable taking on the role.
This isn't Tran's first advocacy for LGBTQ+ representation. She previously suggested her character in Disney's 'Raya and the Last Dragon' could be interpreted as queer, expressing interest in exploring that aspect in a potential sequel and noting she'd be "overjoyed" to do so if given the opportunity in the future.
"I think if you're a person watching this movie and you see representation in a way that feels really real and authentic to you, then it is real and authentic," Tran previously told 'Vanity Fair' of the movie back in 2021.
"I think it might get me in trouble for saying that, but whatever," she joked.
