Keri Russell's Star Wars Role Kept Her Behind A Mask & That's The Way She Liked It
Keri Russell is pretty recognizable. From the college drama series "Felicity" to FX's spy thriller "The Americans," not to mention a small but key role in "Mission: Impossible III," general audiences know her face. However, fans may not have recognized her in "Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker," where she always wore a mask. Though we see her eyes for a bit, that's all we get. If you recall, her character, Zorii Bliss, encountered our Resistance heroes on the planet Kijimi, while they were looking for Babu Frik (Shirley Henderson) to get information from inside C-3PO (Anthony Daniels). Zorii has a past with Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), both romantically and as a fellow spice runner. Though she initially threatens them at blaster point, Zorii ends up helping the Resistance, even turning up with Babu Frik in the battle of Exegol.
Though you might think showing your face in the "Star Wars" universe would be the dream of any actor, being largely mysterious and anonymous was exactly what Russell wanted, according to a 2019 feature in Town & Country. Plus, it let her work with director J.J. Abrams again, after he co-created "Felicity" (and wrote the theme music), and later directed her in "Mission: Impossible III." As Russell told the magazine:
"There was a lead for it already [Daisy Ridley]. So it was very attractive, the idea of not being the lead. The mask — I felt safe in it. And tough. No makeup. You don't have to be embarrassed by anything."
Russell also had an ulterior motive: impressing her son, who was in middle school at the time.
'The mask -- I felt safe in it'
Though people certainly knew Russell was in the film, thanks to pre-release publicity and the fact that she'd done interviews and was clearly listed in the credits, she wasn't instantly recognizable in the film. (Though, if you were around during "Felicity," you probably noticed that her eyes were familiar when the faceplate of her mask was off.) That anonymity added to the coolness factor for Zorii Bliss. Russell mentioned the "cool" part of things to Entertainment Tonight while on the red carpet for the film. She said:
"Not only did I get to be in 'Star Wars,' I get to be a cool character! Not that there's any bad character, but I got to be a cool character... I have a cool costume, the morals are questionable — like, that's exactly who you want to play!"
There is a strong history in "Star Wars" of characters who don't remove their helmets, like Darth Vader or Din Djarin and many of the Mandalorians. Or at least they wear their helmets most of the time until the opportunity for a dramatic face reveal comes around. If we weren't so overwhelmed with "Star Wars" shows and films, I'd maybe even want to see a series based around Zorii Bliss, just to learn more about the mystery of who she is. That said, maybe wishing for a reveal is more fun than actually getting one.
All the "Star Wars" films and TV series are currently streaming on Disney+.