Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran overwhelmed by fan support

Kelly Marie Tran has been overwhelmed for the love she gets from 'Star Wars' fans.

The 30-year-old actress reprises her role as Rose Tico in 'The Rise of Skywalker' - after first joining the long-running saga in 2017's 'The Last Jedi' - and she admitted the kind response has been "really, really beautiful".

Asked about the fans chanting her name at this year's 'Star Wars Celebration', she told Refinery29: "It was wild and amazing, truly. When that happened at 'Celebration', I was obviously not expecting that.

"It was like, 'Oh, I'm not crying', but obviously, I was crying and totally trying to hide it. And then the host, Steven Colbert, asked me a question and I was like, 'Ahhh! I think I said something so strange.' I remember being like, I can't process anything.

"I think that's how it's been for me, this time around with all those things coming out. It's been incredible, just the amount of love and compassion that people have shown. It's really, really beautiful."

Tran - who suffered some abuse online after she joined the 'Star Wars' universe but hit back in an op-ed piece for the New York Times - has also opened up on how her character has changed between movies.

She added: "Rose has risen through the ranks of the resistance, and you see that not only in her costume but in her, the way she speaks, and the way she carries herself."

And the star heaped praise on the the creativity of the fanbase when it comes to the artwork they share inspired by the film franchise.

She said: "I think the fact that anyone wants to draw this character at all is pretty incredible to me."