This House of the Dragon star talks about her disastrous Star Wars audition

ByLeila June 26, 2026June 26, 2026

Before becoming Alicent Hightower, Olivia Cooke tried her luck in a galaxy far, far away… for a role ultimately won by Daisy Ridley.

Before ruling Westeros, Olivia Cooke dreamed of piloting the Millennium Falcon.

Guest of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the House of the Dragon star revealed that she auditioned for the role of Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which ultimately went to Daisy Ridley.

“I auditioned for this one several times, the one that Daisy Ridley got. But hey, everyone and even her dog auditioned for this role!” jokes the actress.

But here’s the thing: the test didn’t exactly go as planned. She continues:

“I think I had an audition in LA, and then another one with JJ Abrams. And I sucked. Really sucked!”

The actress still remembers the feeling of unease that came over her when she left the room.

“You know when you walk into an audition and you give absolutely nothing? You feel like you’ve disappointed yourself and everyone in the room… But hey, I have no regrets. Daisy did an incredible job. I just wasn’t that type of actress back then. It just wasn’t the right role for me.”

After this failure, Olivia Cooke’s career took off. We found her just after in Ready Player One by Steven Spielberg and Sound of Metal, nominated for the Oscars, before she landed the role of Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon.

So, failing an audition for Star Wars doesn’t prevent you from ending up on the Iron Throne.

Season 3 of House of the Dragon is currently streaming on HBO Max in France.

Leila

Leila is the editor-in-chief at DTmovies, leading the charge with her team to deliver engaging cinema and series content. With a keen eye for emerging trends and a passion for the stories behind the screen, she is the creative backbone that drives the site’s editorial excellence. Her expertise and dedication have established DTmovies as a go-to source for film and series enthusiasts.