Naomi Ackie recently opened up about her social media experience when she was cast in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The BAFTA-winning actress joined the Star Wars franchise in the sequel trilogy's final installment as Jannah, a former stormtrooper who lives in Kef Bir and aids the Resistance in their fight against the First Order.
The film notably received a polarizing reception among critics and fans as they felt that it was a disappointing conclusion to both the trilogy and the Skywalker Saga overall.
Naomi Ackie Addresses Social Media Break When She Joined Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
In a recent interview, Ackie revealed that she was advised by an insider to avoid social media once her casting in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker gets announced.
It was due to the racist remarks that John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran faced in previous films and they wanted Ackie to not experience the same backlash.
"I had heard that anyone of color would get wrapped up in some racist sh*t. I didn’t want to have a place for them to come with their comments," the actress said.
Ackie eventually returned to social media at the urging of Disney and she was assisted in navigating the platform once the film was released.
"They did some sort of magic thing where I instantly got the checkmark [verification] and all these followers, and then Star Wars came out, and it was fine and I sat with that for a bit," she continued.
"But then I eventually found myself scrolling too much, comparing myself to other people and becoming jealous, sad, and depressed. I started putting stuff on my page that was attention-seeking."
Unfortunately, POC cast members in the Star Wars franchise are still getting racist attacks in the years after with Amandla Stenberg from The Acolyte being the most recent example and she even released a song in response to the hate that she's been receiving.
It is a situation that is difficult to navigate as there is no easy way to stop the attacks so all Lucasfilm can do is to assist the actors as they navigate the situation and continue to condemn the actions.
What do you think of Ackie's remarks? Let us know in the comments!
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