5 Actors We Forgot Will Be In Star Wars: Episode VIII
By Elaine Tveit
2. Laura Dern
HOLLYWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 09: Actress Laura Dern attends the Premiere of Universal Pictures’ ‘Everest’ at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatre on September 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Ah, Laura Dern. Her very name is a breath of fresh air.
Dern is probably most recognizable for her role as Ellie in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 Jurassic Park. More recently, she created and starred in a television series called Enlightened about a female corporate executive who discovers the benefits of the Enlightenment philosophy. I’m just geeking out that she is going to be a part of Star Wars now. She’s such a talented actress, and lights up every scene she’s in.
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We still don’t know what her role will be in Episode VIII. There are rumors floating around, of course. Latino-Review Media reported Dern had been cast in the role of a high-ranking Resistance officer or politician who feuds with Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron. It’s not exactly the character I hoped she would portray (okay, I hoped she would play Luke Skywalker’s wife, sue me). But it’s important to keep in mind that this is just a rumor. Nothing is final until Lucasfilm says so. Regardless of what role she takes on, however, Dern is going to dominate her Episode VIII screentime with her terrific presence.
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