The cast of the Star Wars sequel trilogy includes icons like Harrison Ford reprising their old characters and newcomers including Daisy Ridley.
The cast of the Star Wars sequel trilogy includes some of the most renowned actors of their time playing exciting new characters in a galaxy far, far away. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the first project the studio fast-tracked into development was a Star Wars sequel trilogy that picks up three decades after Return of the Jedi. The sequel trilogy brought back familiar icons like Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher in their beloved roles from the original Star Wars trilogy, but it also cast a bunch of fresh faces like Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver as brand-new characters.
Some of the actors in the Star Wars sequel trilogy were already well-known stars from other franchises before joining the ensemble, like Andy Serkis and Gwendoline Christie, while others were launched to international stardom by their Star Wars roles, like John Boyega and Oscar Isaac. The sequel trilogy introduced some promising new figures to the Star Wars universe, like a Force-sensitive ex-Stormtrooper and a droid shaped like a beach ball. The Star Wars sequel trilogy cast the perfect actors to play each of these new characters alongside returning legends like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.
Daisy Ridley As Rey
Rey, the powerful Force-sensitive scavenger at the center of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, is played by Daisy Ridley. Rey spends the trilogy trying to figure out her parentage while also joining the fight against the First Order. Ridley was a relative unknown before being cast as Rey. She has since played a suspect in the Agatha Christie-based whodunit Murder on the Orient Express, the Shakespearean title character in the romantic drama Ophelia, and the voice role of Cottontail Rabbit in Peter Rabbit, and she starred alongside Tom Holland in the dystopian sci-fi thriller Chaos Walking.
John Boyega As Finn
Finn, also known as FN-2187, a Stormtrooper who defects from the First Order to join the Resistance after being horrified by the effect of his military actions on civilians, is played by John Boyega. Finn is also hinted to have Force sensitivity throughout the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Before being cast as Finn, Boyega had become a known star in the UK with the lead role of Moses in the alien invasion comedy Attack the Block. He has since appeared in Kathryn Bigelow’s true-crime drama Detroit, the historical action epic The Woman King, and Steve McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe.
Oscar Isaac As Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron, a former spice runner and one of the Resistance’s most skilled X-wing pilots, is played by Oscar Isaac. As a gifted starfighter pilot and a cool-as-ice gunslinger, Poe was pitched as somewhere between Luke and Han. Isaac had previously played the titular folk singer in the music-focused movie Inside Llewyn Davis, as well as supporting roles in Drive and The Two Faces of January. He has since appeared in such films as Dune, Triple Frontier, and The Addams Family. Isaac joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the eponymous role in the superhero psychological thriller series Moon Knight.
Adam Driver As Ben Solo / Kylo Ren
The main villain of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Kylo Ren, is played by Adam Driver. Kylo Ren’s real name is Ben Solo, and he’s the estranged son of Han and Leia. Driver was previously best known for playing Adam Sackler in the HBO dramedy series Girls, as well as supporting roles in Lincoln and Frances Ha. After the role of Kylo Ren made him a more recognizable star, Driver went on to work with such directors as Jim Jarmusch on Paterson, Martin Scorsese on Silence, and Spike Lee on BlacKkKlansman. Driver is one of the rare actors to have been nominated for an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony.
Mark Hamill As Luke Skywalker
Mark Hamill reprises his role as Jedi master Luke Skywalker in the sequel trilogy. After his attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order ended in tragedy, Luke exiled himself to Ahch-To. When Rey arrives to start training, it offers him a shot at redemption. In addition to playing Luke, Hamill has done plenty of work as a voice actor. He has played the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and various other DC Comics adaptations, as well as Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Skips in Regular Show.
Carrie Fisher As Leia Organa
Carrie Fisher reprised her role as Leia Organa in the sequel trilogy. After the fall of the New Republic, Leia is back to leading a struggling rebel force, now known as the Resistance. After Fisher passed away in 2016, Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker featured Leia through unused footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Fisher also appeared in such classic movies as The Blues Brothers and When Harry Met Sally and became a prominent script doctor in Hollywood. She was also a renowned author who wrote the novel Postcards from the Edge and the memoir Wishful Drinking.
Harrison Ford As Han Solo
Harrison Ford reprises his role as Han Solo in the Star Wars sequels, where he becomes a mentor to Rey and confronts his estranged son, the villainous Kylo Ren. Star Wars is one of many blockbuster franchises that Ford has headlined. He also played the titular explorer in the Indiana Jones series (also created by George Lucas), the android-hunting cop Rick Deckard in the Blade Runner movies, and Jack Ryan in the spy thrillers Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.
Kelly Marie Tran As Rose Tico
Rose Tico, the Resistance engineer who joins Finn on a side quest to Canto Bight, is played by Kelly Marie Tran. Rose is an everywoman and an audience surrogate who opens Finn’s eyes to the widespread corruption across the galaxy. Tran voiced the eponymous princess in the Disney animated movie Raya and the Last Dragon and Dawn Betterman in The Croods: A New Age, a role she reprised in the streaming spinoff The Croods: Family Tree. She also starred alongside Elizabeth Olsen in the Facebook Watch series Sorry for Your Loss.
Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Supporting Cast & Characters
Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke: Kylo Ren’s evil overlord, Supreme Leader Snoke, is played via motion-capture technology by Andy Serkis. The actor previously played iconic motion-capture roles like Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies and Caesar in the rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy.
Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata:Han’s resourceful yet mysterious old friend Maz Kanata is played by Lupita Nyong’o. The actress won an Academy Award for her turn in 12 Years a Slave and also starred in Jordan Peele’s Us and played the role of Nakia in the MCU.
Anthony Daniels as C-3PO: Anthony Daniels reprises his role as protocol droid C-3PO in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Daniels is the only actor to appear in all the theatrically released Star Wars movies. He also voiced Legolas in Ralph Bakshi’s animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
Kenny Baker and Jimmy Vee as R2-D2: Kenny Baker reprises his role as astromech droid R2-D2 in the sequel trilogy. When Baker passed away, the role was inherited by Jimmy Vee. Baker also appeared in Time Bandits, Flash Gordon, and The Elephant Man. Vee has played various aliens and creatures on Doctor Who, like Bannakaffalatta and the Graske.
Dave Chapman and Brian Herring as BB-8: The rolling droid BB-8 was puppeteered by Dave Chapman and Brian Herring. Chapman’s previous puppeteering work can be seen in movies ranging from Muppet Treasure Island to Prometheus. Herring also puppeteered the porgs and various other creatures in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and got his start on the British satirical series Spitting Image.
Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca: Peter Mayhew reprised his role as Han’s Wookiee companion Chewbacca in Star Wars: The Force Awakens before retiring from the character. After Mayhew stepped down, Joonas Suotamo took over the role. Mayhew had an uncredited turn as a Minotaur in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. Suotamo started out as a basketball player before becoming an actor and has since played The Scourge in Disney Plus’s modern fantasy series Willow.
Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux: General Hux, the First Order bureaucrat who commands the fleet, is played by Domhnall Gleeson. The actor is known for playing Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter series and for starring in About Time and Ex Machina.
Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma: Finn’s cold-hearted commanding officer, Captain Phasma, is played by Gwendoline Christie. The actress is best known for playing Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones.
Frank Oz as Yoda: Frank Oz reprised his role as Yoda as a Force ghost in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Before playing Yoda, Oz worked as a puppeteer on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. As a director, he’s helmed such movies as The Dark Crystal and Little Shop of Horrors.
Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine:Ian McDiarmid reprised his role as Emperor Palpatine when the character was resurrected as the big bad of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Outside his Star Wars role, McDiarmid has appeared in such films as Sleepy Hollow and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian: Billy Dee Williams reprises his role as Rebel veteran Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Williams is also known for playing Harvey Dent in Batman and starring alongside Sylvester Stallone in Nighthawks.
Naomi Ackie as Jannah: Jannah, a fellow defected Stormtrooper that Finn meets in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is played by Naomi Ackie. The actress got her breakout role in the series The End of the F***ing World and later played Whitney Houston in the biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
Richard E. Grant as Allegiant General Pryde: Allegiant General Pryde, the Imperial bureaucrat who usurps Hux in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is played by Richard E. Grant. The actor is known for his breakout role in Withnail and I and his Oscar-nominated turn in Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Keri Russell as Zorii Bliss: Poe’s old spice-running associate Zorii Bliss is played by Keri Russell. The actress previously played leading roles in the TV series Felicity and The Americans.
Shirley Henderson as Babu Frik: Babu Frik, the tiny droid engineer who unlocks the secret Sith language buried in C-3PO’s programming in the final mainline Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker, is voiced by Shirley Henderson. The actress is best known as Jude from the Bridget Jones movies and Moaning Myrtle from the Harry Potter franchise.
MORE: 10 Storylines From The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy That Were Never Paid Off
