During an episode of Happy Sad Confused, a podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke revealed she had once auditioned for Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
According to Variety, Cooke said in the interview that the audition did not go well.
Rey, the main character of the sequel trilogy, has been played by Daisy Ridley since 2015.
Cooke reminisced on who she was at the time of that fateful audition. “I just wasn’t that kind of an actor at that time,” she said. “It just wasn’t a fit.”
We have to say, thank goodness she didn’t get the part. Cooke has been the face of films like Ready Player One and Sound of Metal, alongside various other feature films and series. Her most consistent role? Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones spinoff series.
She has definitely progressed since the 2010s, not only having time on her side but also extensive film and TV experience.
“I was sh-t,” Cooke said. “I was really bad.”
Cooke’s House of the Dragon character, Alicent, has been instrumental in the plot of House of the Dragon, and she has played the role well. House of the Dragon season 3 has begun premiering, with Alicent Hightower already having appeared in episode 1. Not only did she appear, but she has entertainment publications everywhere (including us!) raving about an uncomfortable kiss between Alicent and her son. During an interview with Nerdist, Cooke discussed the complexity of her character’s feelings about the interaction.
If that doesn’t get you interested in seeing Cooke’s acting chops for yourself, I don’t know what will.
New House of the Dragon episodes premiere every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max. Episode two comes out this Sunday.