Keri Russell may be new to the Star Wars universe, but that didn’t stop her from getting emotionally invested when she read the script for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Russell, who plays the mysterious new character Zorri Bliss in the upcoming film, recently told the Associated Press that she cried when she first read director-writer J.J. Abrams’ version of the script.
“When I read his script that he wrote I cried,” she told the outlet in a recent interview. “I mean who knows what it will turn out to be and I hope it remains true to what he originally wanted.”
She also discussed why Abrams was the right person to direct the film, which is the ninth and last entry in the Skywalker saga. He previously directed 2015’s The Force Awakens, but Rian Johnson stepped in to direct its 2017 follow-up, The Last Jedi.
“He’s not trying to change it to be something else,” she said of Abrams. “He really respects what it is.”
Russell, who is known for her roles in popular television series Felicity (co-created by Abrams) and The Americans, also described her character, who has previously only been revealed to be “a masked scoundrel,” as “bad ass,” but she didn’t provide further details.
The highly anticipated film — which also stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Kelly Marie Tran, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong’o — hits theaters Dec. 20.
In addition to Russell, newcomers to the franchise include Richard E. Grant, Naomi Ackie, and more.
Related content:
New characters and worlds revealed for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Decoding the first teaser for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Knights of Ren return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker