Hannah John-Kamen Reveals What It's Really Like To Audition For Star Wars
Over the years, "Star Wars" has had its fair share of celebrity cameos. Actors such as Daniel Craig and Simon Pegg – and even Prince Harry and Prince William of the British Royal Family — have snuck their way into "Star Wars" history for a quick scene or two (via People). However, one cameo you may not have caught belongs to "Ant-Man and the Wasp" actress Hannah John-Kamen, who played the role of a First Order Officer in "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens."
Obviously, John-Kamen's character doesn't accomplish much as a simple cameo. Even so, it's an interesting sight to see, as the cameo occurred just as the actress began rising in popularity. "The Force Awakens" came out in 2015, the same year that Kamen landed her notable role as Dutch in the series "Killjoys," and three years before she appeared in both "Ready Player One" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp," playing the villain Ghost in the Marvel film (via IMDb).
These days, John-Kamen is involved in other major projects, recently playing Jill Valentine in "Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City." Still, the British-born actress always seems to take the time to remember her brief stint in "Star Wars" fondly. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, John-Kamen even revealed what it's really like to audition for "Star Wars."
Working on a Star Wars film is a tight-knit operation
Being one of the biggest franchises on the planet, the filmmakers behind "Star Wars" are obliged to keep many things under wraps during auditions. According to Hannah John-Kamen, however, that secrecy doesn't end once they cast you.
In her interview with THR, John-Kamen noted that the scenes she read for her audition were obviously not from the film, as the studio wouldn't release any details about the plot, characters, or anything to anyone who didn't need to know. Going into further detail about her personal experience, she said, "I read a very random scene that was written just for the audition, and then I got a call from my agent who said, 'You've got a job in Star Wars.'"
But even after the contracts were signed, John-Kamen was still in the dark for a while about who she was even playing, while her lines were given to her at the very last minute to avoid exposure. The actress explained that "you don't quite know what's happening, and even on the day, I didn't get my sides until after breakfast. That's how secretive it has to be. So I couldn't tell anyone what I was doing because I didn't even know. So I turned up, and throughout the day, you just worked out what you were going to say."
While this might seem annoying from an actor's perspective, it actually makes some sense. After all, if an audition fails, then vital information about the story could leak rather easily. With millions of dollars on the line, the "Star Wars" filmmakers need to do everything in their power to avoid any information going public before the film hits theaters.