More On New Episode 7 Cast Member Crystal Clarke

Crystal Clarke

When official word came from Lucasfilm and Bad Robot the other day about the two latest additions to the cast of Star Wars: Episode 7, a great deal of the initial attention focused on parkour artist Pip Anderson. No surprise there – his show reels are mighty exciting to watch, and have given Star Wars fans plenty to speculate about as to what the nature of his role in Episode 7 may be.
 
But what of Crystal Clarke? Well, a new article hot off the virtual presses at the Daily Record gives us a little more insight as to who Crystal is and what she brings to the table. More on this (including a great example of her work) after the jump.


 
As is the case with the rest of the newcomers to the Star Wars cast, we have very little to go on as far as what kind of character Crystal Clarke might be playing in the new film. However, the glowing opinions expressed about her by former Royal Conservatoire of Scotland classmate and director Bob Cook in this Daily Record article  are certainly promising:

 

[A]ccording to classmate Ben Cook, who directed the New Jersey born performer in a short film last year, Abrams has got himself a real star in the making with 20 year old Crystal.
 
Ben said: “She was great to work with and really professional with everything. I’d written the part for her because I’d seen work she had done elsewhere and I knew how good she was.
 
“Obviously it’s paid off, because she’s going to be in Star Wars now so that was a good call.
 
“Everyone is really delighted for her because she is great. We’re really chuffed to have worked with her. But it’s no great shock that she has made it because everyone knows how good she is.”

 
Crystal Clark’s performance in Cook’s short film, entitled “Champagne”, shows her to be an engaging and confident actress with a very genuine air about her. Her role here is probably nothing like what she’ll be doing in Episode 7, of course, but it’s worth taking a look at nonetheless:
 

 

Ben Cook added: “Crystal has a natural presence on screen and everyone takes notice when she walks in a room whether she’s on camera or off. She is a real character and is very sassy.
 
“She definitely has a great career ahead of her.”

 
Landing a role in Star Wars? Yeah, I’d say she’s off to a fine start indeed!
 

+ posts

28 thoughts on “More On New Episode 7 Cast Member Crystal Clarke

  • July 11, 2014 at 1:08 am
    Permalink

    There’ve been so many new roles cast for this film, it’s hard to tell who will have major screen time and who may just pop their head in for 5-10 minutes.

    • July 11, 2014 at 1:14 am
      Permalink

      Absolutely. And given how late the announcement was, I’d say chances are good that Crystal probably has a smaller role. It’s always possible that it’s a small role that is intended to grow in subsequent films, though.

      (Or, it might not be a small role at all. I haven’t the foggiest idea!) ;^)

  • July 11, 2014 at 1:20 am
    Permalink

    Oh crap she is incredibly awkward in that ‘Champagne’ film… But I suppose she must’ve done something right if 37,000 people sent in auditions and she got the part

    • July 11, 2014 at 1:30 am
      Permalink

      Or, those other 37,000 must have been REALLY bad

      • July 11, 2014 at 1:41 am
        Permalink

        Hayden Christiansen and 36,999 of his clones were the other auditioners.

        • July 11, 2014 at 2:21 am
          Permalink

          …For a female part? Hayden and his thousands of clones must be REALLY into the avant-garde scene.

          • July 11, 2014 at 6:00 pm
            Permalink

            More people complaining about Hayden I see. But what else is new, I guess…

        • July 12, 2014 at 7:59 pm
          Permalink

          Hayden is great. I love him.

  • July 11, 2014 at 1:26 am
    Permalink

    So, every female cast thusfar seems to be “Twilight” age.

    Episode VII: Cosplay In Space

    • July 11, 2014 at 1:29 am
      Permalink

      Yes, Carrie Fisher, 57, is way too young. Not to mention Lupita Nyong’o, 31, and Gwendoline Christie, 35. All these damn female teenagers in star wars, so very twilight.

      • July 11, 2014 at 5:45 am
        Permalink

        As excited as I am for more talented actresses to be in Star Wars, I’m also grateful that they’re not all “teenagers”.

    • July 11, 2014 at 2:26 am
      Permalink

      How DARE they cast young people in a new Star Wars movie about a new generation of characters! Those fiendish corporate sellouts!

    • July 11, 2014 at 4:10 pm
      Permalink

      Lupita and Gwendoline look much younger than their age.

      There’s nothing wrong with casting teenagers or younger actresses. Mark Hamill was a kid when he starred in the first Star Wars film.

      But when you start creating a world that is run by teenagers, it ends up becoming quite mock-worthy. Like Twilight.

      I’d like to see a bit more diversity in terms of the female cast with regards to age and appearance. All these model perfect cosplay girls they’re casting is making this look like some Bimbos In Space B-movie.

      • July 11, 2014 at 6:02 pm
        Permalink

        Obviously the younger cast don’t run the galaxy.. That’s what the older cast is for. But the whole point is that you cast younger kids to go on the main quest that is far beyond their depth like the older and more authoritative cast members, hence it causes a lot of drama. It’s always interesting to watch a younger cast develop over 6 years or so from the first to the third film. Look at Luke and Leia for example. How else are you going to cast a coming of age story other than cast teens? This has been done decades before twilight..

      • July 11, 2014 at 6:09 pm
        Permalink

        “Lupita and Gwendoline look much younger than their age.”

        Like teenagers, right? That argument makes no sense – youthful appearance aside, you couldn’t just cast them as high school students or anything within that demographic.

        “There’s nothing wrong with casting teenagers or younger actresses. Mark Hamill was a kid when he starred in the first Star Wars film.

        But when you start creating a world that is run by teenagers, it ends up becoming quite mock-worthy. Like Twilight.”

        Bear in mind that by the time the movie actually comes out, Crystal Clarke will be older than Carrie Fisher was when she first played Princess Leia. As many people have said already, Crystal’s role in this movie is likely to be one of moderate importance instead of a major addition to the cast, if the time that she was officially signed onto the project is of any indication.

        Plus, everything we’ve heard so far indicates that the older generation has the greater focus of the movie. Even as far as the new cast goes, it’s abundantly clear that Andy Serkis, Max Von Sydow, and Adam Driver will have bigger roles in the movie than the actress that was announced at a much later date.

        “I’d like to see a bit more diversity in terms of the female cast with regards to age and appearance. All these model perfect cosplay girls they’re casting is making this look like some Bimbos In Space B-movie.”

        So having attractive people in a movie equates to them looking like “bimbos”? That’s… A pretty unfortunate statement, to say the least. Never mind that these actresses have proven themselves or have at least proven that they have potential.

      • July 11, 2014 at 7:15 pm
        Permalink

        Both Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher were fairly young. But the roles they played reflected their ages realistically. Luke, was an inexperienced wet behind the ears farmboy. Leia, was a spoiled pampered princess.

        They weren’t expert bounty hunters, hardened smugglers, Jedi masters, experienced veterans, or anything of the like.

        Whether that statement is unfortunate or not is irrlelevant. It remains a fact of reality, and it has more to do with just their ages. Think Barbarella or Galaxina.

        The females they have cast thusfar will largely be unbelievable in their roles if they engage in regular combat, because they don’t appear to be battle hardened. Rather, they appear to spend their days getting pampered at the local day spa.

        If they engage in combat in a situational role, as Leia did where she could fire a gun if she needed to, but wasn’t a tough-as-nails brute, then it might fly.

        But if they try to pass them any of off as a Han Solo or experienced soldier type, it’ll be laughable at best.

  • July 11, 2014 at 1:28 am
    Permalink

    Night sister?

    • July 11, 2014 at 2:23 am
      Permalink

      It was said she was in the initial casting call, which didn’t feature any villainesses. So… Probably not.

      But as for the possibility of the older women in the cast playing Nightsisters? Maybe.

  • July 11, 2014 at 3:31 am
    Permalink

    Shes hot

  • July 11, 2014 at 5:57 am
    Permalink

    I like what I see so far and look forward to her role in VII with great anticipation.

    • July 11, 2014 at 8:04 am
      Permalink

      Oh crap. I just realized I did a Palpatine thing back there. Please don’t turn on account of me, Crystal! <;O

    • July 11, 2014 at 10:46 am
      Permalink

      Crystal Clarke’s afro hairstyle is a lot different than the flowing hair of the woman in that photo, and she was cast at a much later date than when that photo was taken. I think it’s a lot more likely the mystery girl in the photo is Maisie Richardson-Williams, as previous rumors (Abe Gurko’s Tweet included) have suggested, not to mention that her hairstyle seems to fit the bill here.

      As for the character being evil based on that one sentence? Maybe, but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar – or rather, sometimes cold weather is just cold weather.

      • July 11, 2014 at 11:43 am
        Permalink

        Yes for the hair it’s true.

        Well we don’t know when exactly she was casted. They announced her right now but we can’t know how long she has been involved.

      • July 11, 2014 at 2:32 pm
        Permalink

        Sellers. Maisie Richardson-Sellers is her name. Not Williams. But Sellers.

  • July 11, 2014 at 6:55 pm
    Permalink

    Am I to understand that Adam Driver, Domnhall Gleeson, Oscar Isaacs and John Boyega look like “models” and “twilight teeny-boppers?”

    That’s very interesting. Thank God for the unattractiveness that is Mark and Carrie these days to balance it all out.

    Seriously…Adam Driver? Model good looks? Okay.

    • July 11, 2014 at 7:16 pm
      Permalink

      Who said anything about Adam Driver?

  • July 11, 2014 at 6:56 pm
    Permalink

    She does look like Lupita Nyong’o. I wonder if she’s playing a sibling of Lupita’s character.
    Or perhaps if Lupita is playing Asajj Ventress, a daughter of hers, and a Nightsister.

Comments are closed.

LATEST POSTS ON MOVIE NEWS NET