4:00
\"Its been a whirlwind -- I've learned so much,\" she said. \"I'm just so excited for everyone to finally see it I've been keeping the secret for so long.\"
The actress, who plays a warrior fighting in the resistance, said \"it means a lot\" to be the first prominent black woman in a leading role for the legendary saga.
\"The most meaningful thing is when parents send me messages about like wearing natural hair in a film like this and how their daughters or even sons feel empowered by seeing that,\" Ackie said. \"It's about kids as much as the fans and it feels good to help people feel good.\"
Ackie said she has traveled the world thanks to the final \"Star Wars\" film, which included a trip alongside co-star Kelly Marie Tran to NASA headquarters in Houston, Texas.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Naomi Ackie (@naomi_ackie) on Dec 12, 2019 at 12:06am PST
\"I'm an astronaut now,\" the actress joked. \"We were trained, we learned a lot about -- the evolution of astronauts, we ate space food, tested out lunar gravity which is insane -- it was just a great experience.\"
Ackie also said that she has been long suited for her role as Jannah, the horseback riding warrior who carries and shoots a bow and arrow throughout the film.
Nothing can prepare you for the end. #StarWars: #TheRiseOfSkywalker is now playing in theaters! Get tickets: https://t.co/EbJ0vDq9GV pic.twitter.com/3Q2ROuG898
— Star Wars (@starwars) December 20, 2019
\"I made a bow and arrow and used to shoot it around my house -- when I was like 6 -- it paid off,\" she said.
Which makes sense why she asked Kathleen Kennedy, the producer of the movie, to take home some of the props from her part.
\"I've never stolen a thing in my life, so I actually asked permission from Kathleen Kennedy,\" she said laughing. \"I actually took Jannah's headgear and one of her archery gloves. So I did it that way so they would hire me again.\"
Ackie said learning to ride horses was \"super special\" and the most exciting part of her training for this role.
\"I've never ridden before, I'm from London so there's no horses around anywhere and by the end I got so good that I could ride without using my hands,\" she said of her newfound skill.
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