Trần Loan, known by her stage name Kelly Marie Tran (born January 17, 1989 in San Diego, California, United States) is a Vietnamese-American film actress known for her performance in CollegeHumor Originals, as Margeurite in About a Boy, and as Sara from Life on Normal Street. She began acting in 2011, with most of her roles being in short film and television. She came to global prominence for her role as Rose Tico in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). She voiced Raya in the animated film Raya and the Last Dragon (2021).
Early life[]
Trần Loan was born on January 17, 1989, in San Diego, California. Her parents were refugees from Vietnam who fled the country following the Vietnam War. As a child, her father was homeless and grew up on the streets of Vietnam. After moving to the United States, her father worked at Burger King to support the family, and her mother worked at a funeral home.
Tran attended Westview High School in San Diego and worked at a yogurt shop to earn money for head shots. Tran then graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in communications.
Career[]
2011–2014: Early work[]
Her early credits consisted of primarily CollegeHumor videos and small TV roles. She landed a commercial agent in 2011, who got Tran to take improv classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade. At The Second City, Tran is part of the all-female, Asian-American improv group, Number One Son.
In 2013, she starred in the web-series Ladies Like Us. In 2015, Tran was working as an assistant at a creative recruiting firm in Century City.
2015–2019: Star Wars[]
In 2015, Tran was cast as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rose Tico is a rebel mechanic who joins up with main character Finn after the sacrifice of her oldest sister, Paige Tico (Veronica Ngo), a gunner trained by Resistance commander Poe Dameron. When she went to shoot her scenes in England in early 2016, she was required to keep her role secret, so she told her family she was making an independent film in Canada. The Last Jedi made Tran the first Asian-American woman to have a major role in a Star Wars film. In 2017, she also became the first Asian woman to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair when she appeared on the cover of the summer 2017 issue with actor John Boyega (who played Finn), and Oscar Isaac (who played X-Wing fighter pilot Poe Dameron).
Tran plays the lead role of Kaitlin Le in Radiotopia's mystery thriller podcast, Passenger List. She was a series regular on the Facebook Watch series Sorry for Your Loss.
2020–present[]
Tran voiced Raya in the Walt Disney Animation Studios production Raya and the Last Dragon, replacing Cassie Steele. Tran was to play Val Little in the upcoming Disney+ series Monsters at Work, but has since been replaced by Mindy Kaling. She has also been cast as Dawn in the film The Croods: A New Age, replacing Kat Dennings.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Untouchable | Jamie | Short film |
| The Rising Cost of Cosmetics | Chun Hei Park | Short film | |
| Impressions | Alice | Short film | |
| Hot Girls on the Beach | Boba Chick / Student | Segment: "Great White Shark Movie" | |
| 2012 | The Cohasset Snuff Film | Christine Chan | Uncredited |
| 2013 | Andy's CDs | Kelly | Short film |
| 2016 | XOXO | Butterfly Rave Girl | |
| 2017 | Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Rose Tico | |
| 2019 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | ||
| 2020 | The Croods: A New Age | Dawn Betterman (voice) | |
| 2021 | Raya and the Last Dragon | Raya (voice) |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | This Indie Girl | Hero Girl | Episode: "Just the Way It Is" |
| 2012 | Fabulous High | Sierra Mar Student #4 | Television film |
| 2013–2015 | Ladies Like Us | Kelly/Larry | Television series |
| 2014–2016 | CollegeHumor | Full Asian / Kate / Kelly / Startup "Foodler" Girl / Melissa / Amber | Web Series |
| 2014–2016 | Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street | Sara | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | To the Bridge | Lydia | Pilot episode |
| 2014 | About a Boy | Marguerite | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Hope & Randy | Tina | Mini-series |
| 2014 | Currently Cool | Jenny | Episode: "Baby Daddy Daddy Daddy" |
| 2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Teen Friend | Episode: "Thomas Middleditch Wears an Enigmatic Sweatshirt and Sweatpants with Pockets" |
| 2015 | Ladies Like Us: The Rise of Neighborhood Watch | Larry | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Adam Ruins Everything | Sharon / Phone Woman | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Discount Fitness | Betsy | Episode: "Goal Met" |
| 2016 | Pub Quiz | Asia | Television film |
| 2016 | History of the World...For Now | Daughter | Episode #1.4 |
| 2016 | Fall Into Me | Eva | Episode: "British Billionaire" |
| 2016 | Sing It! | Twinkle Twinkle Auditioner | Episode: "THE SHOW BEGINS!" |
| 2018 | Star Wars Forces of Destiny | Rose Tico (voice) | Episode: "Shuttle Shock" |
| 2018–2019 | Sorry for Your Loss | Jules Shaw | 18 episodes |
| 2020 | Monsterland | Lauren | Episode: "Iron River, Michigan" |
| 2020 | The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special | Rose Tico (voice) | TV short |
Podcasts[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–present | Passenger List | Kaitlin Le | Lead role |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 23rd Empire Awards | Best Female Newcomer | Nominated | |
| 44th Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
| 20th Teen Choice Awards | Choice Breakout Movie Star | Nominated |