Carrie Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, had auditioned for the role of Rey

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Recently, Billie Lourd, daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, engaged in an on-camera interview with Ellen Degeneres, and revealed that she had auditioned for the role of Rey in STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. While Lourd was thrilled to step into the role of a Resistance fighter – who just so happened to be rocking Leia's iconic bun hairstyle – she told the fiery talk show comedian that she'll always aspire to achieve more while nurturing her career.

“J.J. Abrams called me to come in for Star Wars because he couldn’t find someone for the lead,” Lourd told Ellen. “He ended up finding Daisy Ridley, who’s an incredible actress — so talented! But I went in and he ended up giving me this tiny role with a couple lines. I was super excited.” While landing the role of Rey would have been a major win for Lourd, the actress reacted to Abrams' decision with nothing short of class, as she cheered her fellow co-star on in the new film.

“It was incredible,” Billie had shared with the pixie-cut talk show host. “I’m a big believer in things happening for a reason and I think I ended up in that movie for a reason. It was really incredible for us to have that experience together.”

You can check out more from the Ellen interview using the player below:

And don't forget to check out Daisy Ridley when she reprises her role as Rey in the upcoming Star Wars sequel, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, which opens on December 15th.