“Raya and the Last Dragon” is one for the history books. It’s Disney Animation’s first movie inspired by Southeast Asia. The stars are telling Deco how cool it is to be in the new film.
Kelly Marie Tran (as Raya): “My name is Raya. Our lands have been at war for as long as we can remember.”
Disney’s got itself a new princess with the movie “Raya and the Last Dragon,” and it’s safe to say Kelly Marie Tran was excited to score the role of the title character — meaning Raya, not the dragon.
Kelly Marie Tran: “I freaked out. Yeah, I was absolutely afraid of it. I think that, you know, we spend so much of our lives wishing and hoping and dreaming about these things, and then we don’t really think about what we’re gonna do when we get there, so there was definitely that moment for me, of just disbelief.”
Kelly Marie Tran (as Raya): “We really need your help.”
Awkwafina (as Sisu): “I’m going to be real with you. I’m not like the best dragon.”
Awkwafina voices the other title character: the dragon!
Awkwafina: “I always love playing relatable characters. I never really thought I’d find one in a dragon, and while Sisu is very, very cool, she’s also imperfect and flawed, and she’s aware of those flaws, and she’s very trusting and loving.”
The film’s fictional world draws from multiple Southeast Asian countries and influences. Representation is important!
Awkwafina: “I hope that some people can watch the movie and identify a familiarity about the places and the people and the things they’re seeing, and people who aren’t familiar with it will gain some kind of understanding of what that world is like.”
Kelly Marie Tran: “It’s really been a dream come true to work on something of this scale that says something as important as I think it says.”
Kelly Marie Tran (as Raya): “Now, to restore peace, I must find the last dragon.”
Raya and the Last Dragon” hits theaters Friday and will also be available as a “Premier Access” selection on Disney Plus.
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