Felicity Jones walked into the room with a big smile on her face, where we were anxiously waiting to interview her, and it must be because she plays Jyn in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. That or because we are pretty awesome and she was excited to chat with us…let’s just pretend it was both of those reasons. Either way, getting to chat with her was pretty cool and I can’t wait to see her in character on the big screen.
Here’s what Felicity Jones had to say…
About her character, Jyn
“Jyn as a very strong ideology. She hates the empire, she hates everything they stand for, they have destroyed her family, so anytime she sees a storm trooper she is an animal who wants to take them down…but at the same time she has a wonderful humanity and she learns how to be a leader throughout the film. She starts off and she’s a bit of an outsider and is very suspicious and untrusting of people. She’s had a bit of a hard life, there’s been quite a lot of struggle, so it’s not easy for her to trust people. Throughout the film you see her actually forming these kindred spirits with the other rebels. And, finding something that they all have a common dislike of the empire and they unite over that despite their differences.”
On whether or not Jyn has a love interest
“I’m saying nothing. There may be something.”
What Star Wars means to her
“I feel the reason Star Wars has lasted for so long is it’s about family, it’s not just blood relations it’s family that you form with friends…I think what’s so special about it is those friendships are across different races, different languages, but it’s people who come together and they’re obviously united by fighting the forces of evil. And I think that’s what people, generations and generations tap into those relationships and really empathize with those characters.”
What she wants younger generations of girls to take away from her character
“What I like about her is she’s not a princess, she’s not really rich, she’s not privileged you know, that’s what we’re used to seeing in these sort of leading Disney roles. She’s very much an ordinary woman and ordinary girl who’s had to make the best of things and I think what I would like young girls to take from it is resourcefulness and self reliance…Jyn isn’t always sweetness and light and giggles, she is exactly who she wants to be. And I think that’s what’s important that young girls don’t feel like they have to conform to some idea of what a girl should be. It’s like you can be whoever you want, whatever you are and take confidence in that and there isn’t a standard that we should all be working towards. It’s like, this is what perfection is you know, ’cause that makes everyone feel bad. It’s about…celebrating what’s different about us…”
The most difficult part about being a part of Star Wars
“I think sometimes it comes with a lot of pressure…Star Wars is the boss. It’s not any individual or any one person, it’s the whole franchise and I think it’s the responsibility and not letting that kind of become too much and get to sort of overly serious…when there’s a sense of leadership, it’s trying to keep a kind of likeness and an enjoyment and not to beat yourself up too much for all the mistakes that you might be making. [LAUGHS]
Favorite Star Wars character while growing up
“I’ve always like Hans Solo. Just because Harrison Ford is really hot. Or was really hot. [LAUGHS] Come on. No, he’s still got it, he’s still got it.” [LAUGHS]
What she learned about herself from this film
“…I don’t know, I think in a few years I’ll be able to answer that. I don’t know, I still feel like I’m kind of in the middle of it. I just hope, I mean I always hope that people respect you for your work…”
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Adventures arrives in theaters everywhere on December 16th!
