- "I feel really lucky that I've been able to be a part of so many massive deals, and Star Wars was just a dream come true. It was probably the most fun I've ever had on a set. Everyone that was there was so happy to be there. I'm glad that the character lives on in the comic books. Occasionally I'll go and I'll backlog like three editions and I'll go buy them be like, 'What's Jess Pava doing?' She's so cool. I hope that I get to play her again one day."
- ―Jessica Henwick
Jessica Henwick (born August 30, 1992[1]) is an English actress who played Jessika Pava in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. She is also known for playing Nymeria Sand in Game of Thrones (where she acts opposite fellow Star Wars actors Keisha Castle-Hughes, Indira Varma, Stellan Skarsgård, Pedro Pascal, Emilia Clarke, and Alexander Siddig); Colleen Wing in the Netflix series Iron Fist, The Defenders and the second season of Luke Cage, based on the Marvel Comics character; and Bugs in the 2021 movie The Matrix Resurrections.
Henwick was a finalist for the role of Rey in The Force Awakens, and auditioned for six months. Although she ultimately was not cast in the role, director J.J. Abrams still wanted to use her in the movie and wrote the character of Jessika Pava specifically for her.[3] She expressed interest in reprising the role for the 2019 film Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker,[4] but her character did not make an appearance in the film.[5]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Contribution(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens | Jessika Pava |
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
This Week! in Star Wars The Mandalorian Season 2 Date Announced, A New Look at The High Republic, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- ↑ 'Iron Fist' star Jessica Henwick waiting to suit back up for J.J. Abrams in 'Star Wars: Episode IX' on abcnewsradioonline.com (September 19, 2018) (content now obsolete; archived from the original on February 24, 2021)
- ↑ Jessica Henwick on 'Underwater' and Her 6-Month 'Star Wars' Audition by Davids, Brian on www.hollywoodreporter.com (January 10, 2020): ""I was auditioning for a different character, actually, so I spent six months auditioning for that character. And then, at the end, J.J. said, "I want you to be in the film, but I want to write a character for you." That's how Jess Pava was created. So, it was a very, very long experience. It's hard because I've been doing this long enough to know that you go in, audition, put it to the back of your mind, don't think about it and don't get emotionally invested. But, after six months, you can't help but just desperately want it. I'm also such a big J.J. fan. So, I was a mess at the end of those six months. [Editor's Note: Henwick was a finalist for Rey.]"" (archived from the original on February 29, 2020)
- ↑ 'Iron Fist' star Jessica Henwick waiting to suit back up for J.J. Abrams in 'Star Wars: Episode IX' on abcnewsradioonline.com (September 19, 2018): "With 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX underway, Henwick tells ABC Radio she's ready to jump back in the cockpit. "I really, really want to be on the last one but I haven't had the call yet! I don't know what's happening! J.J., come on!"" (archived from the original on December 29, 2019)
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker
