Actress Kelly Marie Tran, best known for her role as Rose Tico in the Star Wars saga, has publicly shared that she is queer in a recent interview with Them. This revelation comes ahead of the release of her new romantic comedy, The Wedding Banquet, which explores themes of authenticity through a “lavender marriage” storyline and features fellow LGBTQ+ actors Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang.
Speaking about her decision to come out, Tran, 36, explained, “At the end of the day, I think what’s really important to me is to remind myself that it’s bigger than me. We need to be open and celebrating these parts of our identities that we’ve been taught to be ashamed of.”
Tran also offered a glimpse into her personal life, mentioning her relationship with her girlfriend of two years, whose identity she has chosen to keep private. She shared a lighthearted anecdote about her partner occasionally making unplanned appearances during her Zoom calls, including one with “Wedding Banquet” director Andrew Ahn.
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“My girlfriend has this habit of just walking through Zoom calls. She doesn’t even know she’s doing it,” Tran said with a laugh. “It wasn’t something that was planned at all; it was just sort of this funny thing that happened.”
Reflecting on her journey, Tran expressed hope for the future. “I have to believe that I’m in this position for some reason and whatever that reason is, I hope that my younger me is proud of me now. I think about that every time I see a young queer Asian person.”
The actress, who faced significant racism and sexism following her debut in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, also addressed these experiences in the interview. “It’s interesting how it seems to be happening pretty consistently to actors of color who find themselves in these spaces,” Tran stated. “And I think these occurrences are a microcosm for the social climate that we’re living in. And it’s really unfortunate.”
When asked about her hopes for change in Hollywood regarding the treatment of actors of colour, Tran responded emphatically, “The world?!” She elaborated, “The hope is that people who are not afforded the ability, maybe, to have access to these communities of queer people or people of color, are able to see through the art that people of color and queer people are also human, and they have hopes and dreams.”
Tran emphasized the systemic nature of prejudice, saying, “We live in a world where those identities have been weaponized so that people are not able to see the bigger picture. I really just want people to recognize, it’s the system that’s the problem. Stop scapegoating people of color or queer people or anyone who’s different.”
In The Wedding Banquet, Tran plays Angela, who enters into a marriage of convenience with Min (played by Gi-Chan Lee). The film delves into their struggles with authenticity as they navigate this unconventional arrangement. Tran shared details about filming a traditional Korean wedding ceremony for the movie, noting the dedication to accuracy. “It was very much a communal experience,” she recalled. “We were all dressed up, and Andrew started crying. I was just so excited to be there, and it was such a beautiful start to the day.”
Tran also highlighted the collaborative and improvisational nature of the filming process, particularly in a poignant scene where Angela and Lee reunite after a falling out. “When you have someone like Lily Gladstone, who is such an incredible actress, who communicates so much without words … it was awesome to be able to do that with Lily and Andrew,” she said. “It felt really natural and beautiful and emotional.”
Looking ahead, Tran expressed her desire to continue exploring diverse roles and mediums, while remaining mindful of spotlighting marginalized perspectives. “I hope that [through] the exposure and the creation of making more things about these populations, people are able to recognize humanity and maybe ask questions about the things that they’ve been socialized to believe.”
The Wedding Banquet is set to be released in cinemas on Friday, April 18th.
