Olivia Cooke says her Rey audition was unsuccessful

Actress Olivia Cooke revealed in a recent interview that she unsuccessfully auditioned for the lead role of Rey in the 2015 film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," a part that ultimately launched Daisy Ridley to stardom. Cooke, now 32 and starring as Alicent Hightower in the HBO series "House of the Dragon," discussed the experience on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast.

Cooke said she auditioned on two occasions: once in Los Angeles and once with director J.J. Abrams. She characterized her own performance as poor, stating she felt she had let herself and everyone in the room down. She attributed the outcome to Ridley's superior fit for the role at the time, praising Ridley's performance in the film. Cooke also noted the widespread nature of the casting search, remarking that "everyone and their dog" had auditioned for the part.

The interviewer also asked Cooke about persistent rumors that she had been considered for the role of Rose Tico in 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Cooke clarified that she never auditioned for that film and dismissed the reports as an unfounded rumor, suggesting it may have been started by an agent.

Since her "Star Wars" audition, Cooke's career has...