If you’ve never heard of Maisie Richardson-Sellers, you aren’t alone. Until tonight, the Oxford-educated actress with no movie credits may not have even been worthy of a Google search, but that’s all changed now that her name has been thrown into the ring for Star Wars: Episode VII. According to THR, she’s in contention for an undisclosed and possibly major role in the film.
Thanks to the seemingly endless stream of casting rumors surrounding the highly anticipated return to that galaxy far, far away, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get excited about new reports. However, we have heard several times that Abrams is looking to surround the returning franchise players with unknowns, including a part for a black or mixed-race woman who may be the descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Richardson-Sellers definitely fits the description, and let’s not forget that the saga originally got started with unknowns in the lead roles, so this isn’t completely outside the realm of possibility.
THR mentions that Disney and Richardson-Sellers’ manager either declined to comment or didn’t return their calls, so take this news with a Death Star-sized grain of salt until cameras start rolling next month. After all, we should get some casting news before production on Star Wars: Episode VII officially begins…right?