'Star Wars' newbie Kelly Marie Tran makes history as 'Last Jedi' mechanic Rose Tico

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened two years ago, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega became instant stars. Kelly Marie Tran, in contrast, was probably only on the radar of web-comedy connoisseurs and those who might have caught episodes of NBC’s About A Boy.

But Star Wars vehicles have a tendency to launch unknown actors into the stratosphere (Mark Hamill, anyone?), and so her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (in theaters now) has made Tran a hit on the promotional tour.

“I do feel like I’ve been talking about myself for a crazy long time,” says the 28-year-old San Diego native, who has been photographed adorably freaking out on red carpets and wrote emotionally about the experience for her Instagram fans. “I’m probably going to go into a cave and not talk to people for a couple days after all this.”