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Benicio del Toro and Laura Dern’s characters in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

By Elaine Tveit

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The characters of actor Benicio del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) in Star Wars: The Last Jedi have been revealed by Vanity Fair.

We can finally stop speculating on who Benicio del Toro and Laura Dern play in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In their story spotlighting the new film, Vanity Fair revealed the identities of the actor and actress’s characters: “DJ” and Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, respectively.

del Toro’s character’s name isn’t really “DJ” in the film. It’s just a moniker the film crew calls him behind the scenes. In The Last Jedi, the character goes unnamed. But director Rian Johnson promises readers of Vanity Fair, “there’s a reason why we call him DJ.” I wonder if the new film is gearing up for some more hot intergalactic musical numbers?

Image credit: Vanity Fair (photograph by Annie Leibovitz)

But there’s another side to DJ, one decidedly not music to one’s ears. Johnson describes him as a “shady character,” one whose allegiances are never truly known. He sounds like an informant, which would work well with an occupation like DJ-ing. As he’s playing a venue, his eyes and ears can always be on the lookout for information to sell. I imagine he probably interacts with Finn  (John Boyega) and Rose Tico (also a new character, and played by Kelly Marie Tran), who according to Vanity Fair go on an adventure together behind enemy lines. DJ sounds like just the kind of character one would meet on “the other side.” It remains to be seen, however, if he is a help or a hindrance to the Resistance.

Image credit: Vanity Fair (photograph by Annie Leibovitz)

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The most eye-catching of the two new characters is, without a doubt, Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. Everything from her bright purple hair to her silver head accessory to her luxurious lavender-colored robes says, “opulence.” It’s an odd image for a vice admiral in the Resistance, which gave the impression in The Force Awakens of a ragtag group with limited funds. Apparently, Holdo has just as much guts as glamor. (Incidentally, Dern’s character as a Resistance officer lines up with previous rumors which Latino Review reported. So consider that rumor as “confirmed.”)

Which new character is your favorite? Tell us what you hope to see from them in the comments below.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi enters theaters on December 15, 2017.

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