‘House of the Dragon’ Star Olivia Cooke Reflects on Her Tough Star Wars Audition

Before gaining fame as Alicent Hightower in ‘House of the Dragon’, Olivia Cooke had the opportunity to audition for one of the most iconic movie franchises in history. However, the actress now admits that her audition for ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ did not go as she had hoped.

During her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Cooke shared that she auditioned for the role of Rey, which ultimately went to Daisy Ridley. She also addressed previous rumors suggesting she was in the running for the role of Rose Tico, portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran in ‘The Last Jedi’.

Cooke mentioned that she was among many actors vying for the lead role in the 2015 ‘Star Wars’ film. The competition was fierce, as numerous performers sought the chance to join the beloved galaxy far, far away.

“I did audition a few times for the other one, where Daisy Ridley got [the role of Rey]… The first one,” Cooke recounted during the podcast. “But, like, everyone and their dog auditioned for that.”

The actress recalled auditioning in Los Angeles before performing for director J.J. Abrams, who directed both ‘The Force Awakens’ and ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. Reflecting on the experience, Cooke admitted that she lacked confidence in her performance.

“And I was s—. I was really bad,” she confessed.

When podcast host Josh Horowitz inquired about the audition, Cooke expressed that she felt she did not deliver her best performance.

“I was just bad. You know when you go into an audition, and you’re just not bringing it, and you’ve let yourself down, you’ve let everyone down in the room?” she said.

Ultimately, the role of Rey was awarded to Daisy Ridley, who became a central figure in the ‘Star Wars’ sequel trilogy. Cooke holds no resentment about missing out on the role and believes Ridley was the perfect choice for the character.

“Daisy did such an amazing job,” Cooke stated. “I just wasn’t that kind of actor at that time. It wasn’t a fit.”

The ‘Star Wars’ audition wasn’t the only significant role Cooke felt she had lost. She also reflected on missing out on the 2014 romantic drama ‘Endless Love’. The actress revealed that she desperately wanted the part, as it was her first major screen test, but it ultimately went to Gabriella Wilde.

Cooke recalled the emotional impact of that rejection, especially as she was still young and uncertain about her acting career.

“My agent rung me up like in the middle of the night in the U.K. ‘cause they were in America and I wept into my childhood pillow in my childhood home,” she shared. “I was like my career is not gonna amount to anything because I didn’t get ‘Endless Love.’”

Despite these early setbacks, Cooke’s career flourished. She later starred in films such as ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’, ‘Ready Player One’, and ‘Sound of Metal’. Eventually, she became widely recognized for her role as Queen Alicent Hightower in HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon’.

While she may not have joined the ‘Star Wars’ universe, Cooke’s journey illustrates that missing one significant opportunity does not determine an actor’s future.

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