SPANISH-BRITISH ACTRESS, DAFNE KEEN, HAS MOVED FROM ONE FANTASTICAL UNIVERSE TO ANOTHER, FROM HER ROLE AS THE YOUNG MUTANT LAURA KINNEY / X-23 IN MARVEL’S LOGAN, TO PLAYING THE MUCH-LOVED LYRA BELACQUA IN THE BBC-HBO DRAMA HIS DARK MATERIALS. AND NOW, SHE’S OFF AGAIN, FAR, FAR AWAY, LIGHTSABRE’ING HER WAY INTO THE NEW STAR WARS PREQUEL SERIES, THE ACOLYTE ON DISNEY+, AS JEDI APPRENTICE JECKI, WHOSE LOOK MORE THAN CHANNELS 1970S DAVID BOWIE, ALBEIT A SHORTER VERSION WITH MINI HEAD HORNS.

THE 19-YEAR-OLD TALENT JOINED US ON ZOOM TO TALK ABOUT MAKEOVERS, PASSION PROJECTS AND WEIRD SONGS THAT SUM UP HER LIFE RIGHT NOW.

So, we’re in the High Republic era of Star Wars, where the Jedi are the most powerful, and you’re playing Jecki Lon, a Jedi Padawan apprentice. Did Leslye (Headland) the showrunner give you more creative freedom to explore this character as it’s a time in the Star Wars story that hasn’t been explored before?

Leslye’s a very humble and collaborative director and very good at navigating others’ opinions and ideas, in a generous and thoughtful way. She’s good at saying no to you if an idea doesn’t fit the story, but also saying yes, and listening, as I was always giving my thoughts on why I thought Jecki might be saying or thinking something, so that was great to be in that space and be able to do that.
It also made it more fun as an actor to be able to play a role in this time that people haven’t seen before.

As Jecki’s a young Jedi, is the character’s arc going to be a coming-of-age story, thrust toward their purpose and fate in the Star Wars universe?

Well from what we’ve seen so far, in Jecki’s life, she’s been living in this temple for like 17 or 18 years and then she’s on this mission with her other Padawan friends and not aware about the enormity of what’s to come, and suddenly finds herself in this big situation, and we’re talking about the dark side. I hope I’ve done a good enough job with this role that it’s visible with Jecki that her life as she knows it, is changing.

Obviously, I’m going to ask you, probably for the millionth time like every other journo, about the Bowie similarities. Did you envision the character like that when you read the script?

Well, Leslye had initially told me when I first met with her that I’ll probably be an alien in the show. So, when I got to rehearsals and went into my costume fitting, and saw my character design for the first time, I looked human, like myself, just with short hair. So, I thought, they must have canned the alien idea. But then later I had my make-up test, and they had blocked out 2 hours for it, and then I saw all the prosthetics and wigs and horns, so that’s when I realised, yes, you are an alien! When Leslye and I saw my whole completed look together, we both instantly thought, David Bowie!

Then you blasted a Bowie playlist on set to get you in the mood?

Completely, because I realised the look really helped informed me who Jecki was in a way. She’s such a specific type of alien human hybrid, so having that little fun Bowie crutch to lean on made her more enjoyable to play.

Left Dress **Simone Rocha**, shoes **Christian Dior**, tights stylist’s own
Right Full look **Christian Dior**

You do also realise you’re going to be a Halloween costume and dress-up for fan conventions now forever!

Well, I hope so, brilliant!

I imagine working with prosthetics is great because you don’t have to have that fear and self-consciousness like actors do around what you visually look like on screen after finishing a film?

100%, especially as a young woman, your looks are always a topic of conversation, so having my vanity completely stripped away from me was so refreshing. I didn’t need to worry about how I looked or sounded because Jecki was a completely different person, well, alien, and totally not me. Everything that was characteristic to me was covered up, I had no eyebrows, it wasn’t my hair. It’s very easy as an actor to be vain and think about yourself, but there’s none of that in playback when you have prosthetics on, so I could just inhabit the character and not think about myself at all.

This series is also unapologetically female-centric with female producers and a female lead and cast. So, I don’t want to ask what excites you about breaking down those Star Wars barriers, but what excites you about breaking down those Star Wars barriers? [Laughs]

We unusually had a lot of heads of department that were women on this show, which is rare in crew, from costumers and first ADs to the camera crew and obviously Leslye writing and directing. It was so fun and incredible as a young woman to watch all these women behind the camera in positions of power, all navigating this typically male-dominated world and industry. I receive a lot of scripts, and the role is always for an “empowered woman” which is a character breakdown you just don’t get for men, and so with this show, one of the big things that drew me to it, was that it’s full of women in it and behind the scenes, but we didn’t have to acknowledge that, we didn’t need to make a point about it, it’s about the characters and the story.

Speaking of wielding power, you’ve worked on some great projects so far, what kind of role are you craving next, if you could veer off-road into uncharted territories?

I really want to do Indie films, and I did one after I wrapped Star Wars actually. There’s a different and fun energy on set and it works differently, and there is a real camaraderie between the actors and crew, because you don’t have the money and support like you do with making a big blockbuster movie. I love the kinds of characters in Indies too, they’re gritty or they can be so fun or comically odd, I mean, I love the movie Three Colours Blue and Gena Rowlands in A Women Under the Influence, that type of character would be amazing to play.

Coat and shorts **16Arlington**, tights stylist’s own, shoes **Jacquemus**, necklace **Sweet Lime Juice**

Your parents are both actors too, so growing up, did they inspire your rich love for the big screen?

My Mum had this rule that if I watch one bad film, I should make up for it by watching two good ones! [laughs], like watch a silent film and then an arthouse one or something! But both her and my dad told me I should watch Singing in the Rain, and after I saw it, that was my favourite movie for years, and it really inspired my passion for acting. As a kid, when I watched films, I didn’t see actors, I saw characters, but for the first time, I was so impressed by Gene Kelly as an actor, and Make ‘Em Laugh was the greatest feat of choreography, it impressed me so much. That film opened my eyes and world to actors and acting. I then watched Some Like It Hot and fell in love with Jack Lemmon and thought he was a genius. I learned more about the acting process from my parents too, as I was always around in their rehearsal rooms and my mum was also my acting coach for the first few years on set focusing just on my performance, like a school of acting just for me!

And you’re bilingual, as you were born in Madrid. So, what about doing a Spanish language movie in the future?

I would love to, I’ve never worked in Spanish, and Hispanic cinema and TV now is doing such an incredible job, and it’s so exciting as a Spanish person to see how it’s growing and evolving and being consumed internationally.

A lot of young actors like yourself are also moving more into producing their own projects, and setting up production companies, so that they get more of the opportunities they deserve – is that something you would like to do, to connect more with your craft while maybe amplifying issues or ideas you care about deeply?

I’ve always been a creative person, and acting is just one side of that. I like writing and making short films with friends and writing poetry and seeing art. I would love to be behind the camera more and direct in the future too. I’m already producing a project later this year and I’m in preparation for that. It’s fun to be in the position where I can have a say in the script and create a world around it.

Dress **Dsquared2**, tights and gloves stylist’s own

You mention art, does that interest play out in your writing or ideas for projects then?

Yes, with acting I know how they would have shot a scene or whatever, but with art it’s the unknown for me, imagining how something came to be, the creativity and story behind it. I like to draw from art and photography when I’m writing and planning, the colours, or moods, as it’s a great visual tool. I go to lots of exhibitions with a friend who is studying the history of art, and my appreciation of art and sculpture, comes from travelling a lot with my family, we would always visit museums and galleries.

I would imagine music is also a great tool.

Totally, I can’t exist without music! All my friends are musicians and I have playlists for all the characters I make as it helps with thinking about what that character would be listening to. So much that I do when I’m writing is informed by the music I’m listening to at that time, and it also helps me to process the world around me.

What’s on your playlist right now?

I’m listening to a lot of Jeff Buckley and then I’ll mix it up with Charli XCX or Billie Eilish. I have such a wide taste in music, I can go from the most niche and weird thing ever to the hottest track on Spotify! I love watching people walking around with headphones on and trying to imagine what they’re listening to, music can really change and effect you and the way you carry yourself, it’s always a way in as an actor.

Ok, so give me one song that perfectly sums up where you are in your life right now?

The Enchanted Sea by Martin Denny. It’s a weird choice, but it’s quite stimulating for my brain, the sound is playful and mysterious, like something’s brewing, undertones of this unknown story or world. It speaks to me being 19 years old, I can relate to it, because my world is growing and its unknown right now, but I’m starting to understand it more, which is part of life, but being so young I probably think I know more than I actually do!

And that takes us right back to Star Wars, and Jecki’s own life journey through the light and dark, the unknown. Bowie’s Starman will probably be her song choice though.

Exactly! [laughs]