Page 114 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2020)

right there at home. If I had been more

of a film person, it would’ve meant a
great deal [to realize sooner how
ground-breaking Rey is]. I really didn’t
see the disparity so much, because I
haven’t had access to so many Star Wars

films. The way people have responded
has been so wonderful, and I think it is
only a good thing.”
Ridley was also on hand when “
Princes William and Harry took their
tour of the Star Wars set. “I’m not great I like
at small talk, so I found it a bit awkward,
really.” Ridley laughed. “The wonderful [Poe’s]
thing is that there are so many people laid back
involved in the making of the film who

have worked far longer and far harder attitude.
than the actors. To be able to take the I’d describe
princes to the creature workshop, and
him as a
the props and costumes departments—
where people aren’t always publicly West
recognized for the work they do—felt
pretty cool.” Coast jazz
musician.
iven that Poe Dameron was not
He just
initially scripted to make it into
G the second act of Star Wars: The
Force Awakens—let alone the second hangs
movie of the new trilogy—the Resistance back.
pilot has done pretty well for himself.
“I just begged for my life until they He’s fast
agreed that I could make it off of Jakku!” but so
laughed Oscar Isaac, who plays the

swaggering fighter ace. “It’s definitely mellow,
a good feeling to be alive.” and with
The actor was quick to define the

appeal of his character, who has become all that
a fan favorite. “I like his laid back craziness
attitude. I’d describe him as a West Coast
jazz musician. He just hangs back. He’s going on too!
fast but so mellow, and with all that
craziness going on too!” he said.
“I remember when we were reading ”
the script in Rian’s office with Carrie. We

were just improvising and trying all sorts

of crazy stuff to figure out how to play
those scenes. There was a real looseness
to it within all of the wildness.”
Isaac relished that experience, and
how Johnson developed his character.
“I was really excited to see what kind
of role Rian created for Poe in the story.
The conflict he has to deal with is brutal.

He took away the one thing that Poe
knows how to do so well—jumping into
an X-wing and blowing things up—so
Poe had to deal with being grounded.”
Isaac echoed Laura Dern’s feeling
that the set felt a lot more intimate than

114 / STAR WARS INSIDER