Kelly Marie Tran Biography: Age, Height, Star Wars Fame, Career, Net Worth & 2026 Movies

Kelly Marie Tran is an American actress best known for breaking barriers as Rose Tico in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and as the voice of Disney’s Raya in Raya and the Last Dragon. From her early improv comedy roots in Los Angeles to leading roles in major studio films and acclaimed 2026 projects, her career reflects resilience, versatility, and a powerful voice for representation.

Born in San Diego to Vietnamese refugee parents, Tran has become one of Hollywood’s most inspiring Asian-American performers, celebrated for her work in film, television, voice acting, and producing.

Quick Facts

If you enjoy following Kelly Marie Tran’s biography and career, you may also like other trending talents in similar professions such as Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Lana Condor, Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, and Stephanie Hsu, who are also shaping modern Hollywood with diverse and powerful performances.

Early Life & Education

Kelly Marie Tran was born as Loan Tran on January 17, 1989, in San Diego, California. She is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who fled Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Her father, Tony Tran, experienced homelessness as a child in Vietnam and later worked at Burger King in the United States to support the family, while her mother, Kay Nguyen, worked at a funeral home. Growing up in a working-class household, Tran was raised with strong Vietnamese cultural values while navigating life as a first-generation American.

From a young age, Tran showed a love for storytelling, movies, and performing. She participated in musical theater during her school years and often dreamed of acting, even though she rarely saw people who looked like her on screen. She attended Westview High School in San Diego, where she was active in performance activities and worked at a frozen yogurt shop to save money for headshots and acting classes.

After high school, Tran enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. While at UCLA, she continued to explore comedy and acting, which later led her to study improvisation at the Upright Citizens Brigade and The Second City in Los Angeles. She also became a member of Number One Son, an all-female Asian-American improv group, which helped sharpen her comedic timing and stage presence.

Career Journey in 2026: From Star Wars to Indie Horror and Voice Roles

Kelly Marie Tran’s career biography spans over a decade, marked by steady growth from small comedy videos to global franchise fame and critically acclaimed independent work in 2026.

Early Work: 2011–2014 – Comedy, Short Films and Television

Tran began acting professionally in 2011 after securing a commercial agent. Her earliest credits were primarily CollegeHumor Originals videos and small television appearances. She appeared in short films such as Untouchable and Impressions (both 2011) and made guest appearances on series including This Indie Thing (2011), About a Boy (2014) as Marguerite, and Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street (2014) as Sara. She also starred in the web series Ladies Like Us (2013–2015).

To support herself, Tran worked as an assistant at a creative recruiting firm in Century City while performing improv and sketch comedy at night with Upright Citizens Brigade. This period built her resilience and versatility, allowing her to handle both comedy and drama with ease.

Breakthrough: 2015–2019 – Star Wars and Mainstream Success

Tran’s life changed in 2015 when she was cast as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Rose, a Resistance maintenance technician who teams up with Finn (John Boyega) after the sacrifice of her sister Paige Tico (Veronica Ngo), became an instant fan favorite. Tran filmed her scenes in England in early 2016 under strict secrecy, telling her family she was shooting an independent film in Canada.

Released in December 2017, The Last Jedi made Tran the first Asian-American woman to play a major role in a Star Wars film and the first woman of Asian descent to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair (summer 2017 issue with John Boyega and Oscar Isaac). She reprised Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), voiced the character in Star Wars Forces of Destiny (2018), Lego Star Wars: All-Stars (2018), and The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special (2020), and became a series regular as Jules Shaw in Facebook Watch’s Sorry for Your Loss (2018–2019), where she earned praise for her emotional depth.

Voice Acting and Producing: 2020–2024

After Star Wars, Tran expanded into voice acting and producing. She voiced Dawn Betterman in DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age (2020) and continued the role in the TV series The Croods: Family Tree (2021–present). In 2021, she voiced Raya in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon, replacing Cassie Steele, and became the first actress of Southeast Asian heritage to voice a Disney princess. The performance earned her an Annie Award nomination for Best Voice Acting.

Tran also served as executive producer on the documentaries Lily Topples the World (2021), which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at South by Southwest, and the spoken-word ensemble film Summertime (2021) directed by Carlos López Estrada. In November 2022, she and López Estrada launched Antigravity Academy, a production company focused on stories from historically excluded communities.

In 2023, she starred in Tayarisha Poe’s The Young Wife as Tessa and in Me, Myself & The Void as Mia, both premiering at festivals. In 2024, she joined the cast of Netflix’s Sweet Tooth season 3 as Rosie Zhang (8 episodes) and voiced Darth Rose in Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy.

Recent Activity in 2026: Forge, Rock Springs, Control Freak and Saigon

As of 2026, Kelly Marie Tran is experiencing one of the busiest and most acclaimed phases of her career, leading multiple genre-spanning projects.

In March 2025, she starred as Valerie Nguyen in Hulu’s psychological body-horror film Control Freak, directed by Shal Ngo. Playing a woman tormented by a parasitic demon manifesting as an uncontrollable itch, Tran delivered a physically demanding performance that drew attention for its exploration of perfectionism and cultural pressure.

In April 2025, she starred as Angela Chen opposite Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and Han Gi-Chan in Andrew Ahn’s remake of The Wedding Banquet (2025), a queer romantic comedy that inspired Tran to publicly come out as queer during its press tour. The film follows two queer couples navigating family expectations and was praised for its warmth and humor.

In 2026, Tran leads two major festival films. Forge (2026), directed by an ensemble team and distributed by Utopia, is a crime thriller where she plays Emily Lee (also listed as Coco in early materials) alongside Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo, T.R. Knight, and Eva De Dominici. The film, about siblings entangled in art-world crime, released its official trailer in early 2026 and is set for a limited theatrical release on May 15, 2026 in the UK and US.

Her most talked-about 2026 project is Rock Springs, a horror-drama written and directed by Vera Miao (Two Sentence Horror Stories). Premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2026 and screening at SXSW on March 15 and 17, 2026, the film stars Tran as Emily, a cellist grieving her husband’s death who moves with her daughter and mother-in-law to an isolated house haunted by the legacy of the 1885 Rock Springs massacre. The dual-timeline story interweaves Emily’s present-day grief with the lives of Chinese immigrant miners in 1885 Wyoming. The film holds a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been praised for humanizing a little-known chapter of Chinese-American history.

Also in 2026, Tran stars in Saigon, an eight-part scripted audio drama for iHeartPodcasts, produced by Thoroughbred Studios and Goldhawk Productions and directed by John Scott Dryden. Based on Anthony Grey’s 1982 bestselling novel Saigon, the series was recorded on location in Ho Chi Minh City and premiered on April 22, 2026, with weekly episodes on Wednesdays. Tran said the story resonated deeply because her own parents were separated from their families for over two decades after fleeing Vietnam.

Other upcoming work includes post-production on Kodak SuperXX as Linh and Quads & The Kicker as Li’l Jo.

Filmography Highlights – Career Stats

Personal Life

Kelly Marie Tran keeps her personal life relatively private but has been open about identity, family, and mental health.

Family

Tran was born to Vietnamese refugee parents, Tony Tran and Kay Nguyen, and has spoken often about their sacrifices. Her father was once homeless on the streets of Vietnam before building a new life in America. She remains close to her parents and credits them for instilling perseverance and gratitude. She has not publicly shared details about siblings.

Relationships and Dating History

Tran has not been publicly linked to long-term dating histories or previous engagements. In November 2024, during an interview with Vanity Fair while promoting The Wedding Banquet, she came out publicly as queer, stating, “I haven’t said this publicly yet, but I’m a queer person.” She explained that working on the queer-centered film helped her feel celebrated and accepted in a way she had not experienced before, saying she had never truly felt so accepted in a queer space.

As of 2026, Tran is reported to be single and has not announced a partner or spouse. She has expressed that she values chosen family and community, themes that resonate in her recent work.

Hobbies and Community Involvement

Outside acting, Tran enjoys improv comedy, writing, poetry, and advocacy for Asian-American and LGBTQ+ representation. She has participated in mental health awareness initiatives after her own experiences with online harassment and therapy. Through Antigravity Academy, she supports emerging filmmakers from underrepresented backgrounds.

Awards & Achievements

• Nominated – Best Female Newcomer, 23rd Empire Awards (2018) for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Nominated – Best Supporting Actress, 44th Saturn Awards (2018) for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Nominated – Choice Breakout Movie Star, 20th Teen Choice Awards (2018) for Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Nominated – Best Voice Acting – Feature, 49th Annie Awards (2022) for Raya and the Last Dragon
• Winner – Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, SXSW 2021 as Executive Producer of Lily Topples the World
• Historic Achievement – First Asian-American woman to have a major role in a Star Wars film (2017)
• Historic Achievement – First woman of Asian descent to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair (2017)
• Historic Achievement – First person of Southeast Asian heritage to voice a Disney princess (Raya, 2021)

Physical Statistics

Kelly Marie Tran’s physical appearance is often noted for its relatability and natural charm, which has helped her connect with audiences across genres.

• Height: 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm / 1.57 m)
• Weight: Approximately 115–121 lbs (52–55 kg)
• Body Type: Slim
• Hair Color: Black
• Eye Color: Dark Brown
• Shoe Size: 6 (US)
• Dress Size: 4 (US)
• Skin Tone: Light to medium
• Distinctive Features: Warm smile, expressive eyes

Quotes

“You might know me as Kelly. I am the first woman of color to have a leading role in a Star Wars movie. I am the first Asian woman to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair. My real name is Loan. And I am just getting started.” – Essay for The New York Times, August 2018

“I haven’t said this publicly yet, but I’m a queer person. I’ve never been in a queer space before. I’ve never truly felt this accepted before.” – Vanity Fair interview, November 2024

“Afraid, but doing it anyway.” – Instagram bio after deleting posts in June 2018, later echoed as a personal mantra

Controversies

Tran’s most public controversy was not of her own making but stemmed from intense online harassment after The Last Jedi. Following the film’s December 2017 release, she faced racist and sexist attacks on social media, including insults about her ethnicity, appearance, and size. Her character’s Wookieepedia page was vandalized with racist comments, prompting Fandom to protect the page and condemn the abuse.

After months of harassment, Tran deleted all her Instagram posts in June 2018 and sought therapy. The Star Wars cast and crew, including director Rian Johnson and actors John Boyega, Mark Hamill, and Domhnall Gleeson, publicly defended her, as did celebrities like Stephen Colbert and Kumail Nanjiani. Fans organized a “Rally for Rose” at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 and a viral support campaign with hashtags #ForceOutHate and #RallyForRose.

In August 2018, Tran responded with a powerful New York Times essay titled “Kelly Marie Tran: I Won’t Be Marginalized by Online Harassment,” describing how the attacks reinforced lifelong feelings of being “other” and how she began to believe the negative remarks before reclaiming her self-worth. The essay was widely praised as one of the proudest moments of her career and sparked broader conversations about toxicity in fandom and representation in Hollywood.

Favorites

Earnings & Net Worth in 2026

As of 2026, Kelly Marie Tran’s estimated net worth is around $3 million, according to industry trackers such as Celebrity Net Worth. Her earnings come from multiple streams: acting salaries for studio films, voice acting for Disney and DreamWorks, television roles, producing credits, and podcast/audio drama work.

Her Star Wars roles provided a significant early boost, with reports suggesting a low-to-mid six-figure salary for The Last Jedi and increased pay for subsequent appearances. Voice roles in major animated features like Raya and the Last Dragon and The Croods: A New Age typically command $100,000–$300,000 for lead performers, plus residuals. Independent films like The Wedding Banquet, Control Freak, Forge, and Rock Springs offer smaller upfront fees but provide backend and festival prestige.

Producing work through Antigravity Academy and executive producer credits on documentaries add additional income and long-term equity. While not among Hollywood’s highest-paid stars, Tran’s diversified portfolio and steady work in 2025–2026 indicate stable financial growth, with potential for higher earnings as she takes on more leading roles.

Interesting Facts

• Her birth name is Loan Tran; she adopted Kelly Marie Tran professionally, with “Kelly” inspired by her love of the name.
• She worked at a yogurt shop in high school to pay for headshots.
• She kept her Star Wars casting secret from her family, telling them she was filming an indie movie in Canada.
• She is trained in improv at both Upright Citizens Brigade and The Second City.
• She voiced Raya after replacing Cassie Steele late in production and recorded much of the film during the pandemic.
• She is an executive producer on a domino-toppling documentary, reflecting her interest in niche art forms.
• She recorded the 2026 audio drama Saigon on location in Ho Chi Minh City, connecting with her Vietnamese heritage.
• She has spoken openly about seeking therapy after online harassment and advocates for mental health.

Did You Know Already?

• Did you know Kelly Marie Tran was the first Asian-American woman to have a leading role in a Star Wars movie?
• Did you know she became the first Southeast Asian actress to voice a Disney princess with Raya?
• Did you know she deleted her Instagram in 2018 and replaced it with the phrase “Afraid, but doing it anyway”?
• Did you know she co-founded a production company, Antigravity Academy, to uplift underrepresented voices?
• Did you know her parents were Vietnamese boat people who were separated from their own parents for over 20 years?

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @kellymarietran – Official (verified) – Active as of 2026
• X (Twitter): @kellymarietran – Official
• Facebook: Kelly Marie Tran – Official Page
• IMDb: Kelly Marie Tran – Official profile

Note: Always look for the verified checkmark when following celebrity accounts to avoid fan or impersonator pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Kelly Marie Tran’s biography is a story of talent, courage, and transformation — from a San Diego yogurt shop to a galaxy far, far away and now to powerful leading roles in 2026’s most anticipated independent films. Her journey highlights the importance of representation, mental health, and staying true to oneself in the face of adversity. Whether voicing a Disney princess, leading a horror film about forgotten history, or producing stories for the next generation, Tran continues to inspire fans worldwide.

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Key Sources: The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Britannica Kids, ScreenRant