STACK December 2016 Issue No. 146

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as the cosmos itself – Forest Whitaker, Mads
Mikkelsen, Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn,
to name just a few.
Jones – following in the footsteps of The
Force Awakens’ Rey, portrayed by fellow Brit
Daisy Ridley – is delighted to see that the
future of sci-fi’s most lucrative franchise
rests firmly in the hands of its feisty
female leads.
“I enjoy taking on challenges.
Getting to be part of a genre that
E ver since J. J. Abrams’ stellar
reboot of the world’s most famous
sci-fi franchise flew into cinemas in
record-breaking style, all eyes have been
firmly glued to the Star Wars schedule in
anticipation of the next instalment in the
timeless space opera. Now the release
date of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
– chronologically situated between the
events of 2005’s Revenge of the Sith and
1977’s A New Hope – has been set, and
fronting the film’s fearless band of rebels
is none other than 33-year-old British
leading lady, Felicity Jones.
And despite attracting critical acclaim in
her Academy Award-nominated turn as Jane
Hawking in 2014’s The Theory of Everything,
the thought of becoming an integral part of the
Star Wars universe is intimidating enough for
any calibre of star.
“I’m very excited – it’s exciting simply
because it’s part of an iconic history,” she
explains. “I remember going to see the films,
with that classic intro, with my cousins and
brother. When I think about that now it just
seems so daunting, but exhilarating at the
same time.”
While details of the upcoming film – slated
for release in December – remain under
‘lock and key’ according to the saga’s
newest addition, we already know
that Jones will be portraying rebel
Jyn Erso alongside a cast that
includes almost as many stars
is traditionally dominated by men has
become an opportunity to play a very
independent and courageous woman,”
Jones says of Erso. “She’s someone
who knows what she wants in life. I
appreciate that kind of determination. In
my own life, I’m a hard worker. I’m very
passionate about what I do – I think there
are aspects of me in all my characters.”
After working her way up through the
cinematic ranks from small-time movies
to the Hollywood behemoth that is Star
Wars, Jones is dealing with her newfound
leading lady status with an experienced
and unpretentious nonchalance.
“I’ve always had my feet on the ground; I
spent many years working in England to be
able to get to this point,” she remarks. “I’ve
also had the advantage of being part of a very
close family which has supported me and given
me good advice when it comes to making
decisions based on my instincts about the
kinds of roles and films I’ve wanted to do.
“I’ve worked very hard in pursuing my
dream and I’m really enjoying everything about
this time. It’s very gratifying and I hope to keep
finding more good roles.”
And a role in one of cinema’s most well-
loved stories will surely have one more unique
selling point: the inevitable release of a Jyn
Erso action figure.
“It’s something I haven’t given much thought
to,” she laughs. “But should it happen, that’ll
be on the mantelpiece for certain!”
I’ve worked very hard in
pursuing my dream and I'm
really enjoying everything
about this time
Felicity Jones drew critical praise for her performance as Stephen Hawking’s
wife Jane in The Theory of Everything. Now she's getting ready to embark
upon the role of a lifetime in a galaxy far, far away… Words Jake Taylor
• Rogue One:
A Star Wars
Story
is in cinemas on
Dec 15
visit
12 DECEMBER 2016
CINEMA
BUZZ
TheTheory of Everything
AN ENGLISH
ROSE IN SPACE