Star Wars: J.J. Abrams Almost Cast Game of Thrones Star as Rey

It's hard to imagine anybody other than Daisy Ridley playing Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. However, there was a time when director J.J. Abrams wanted a Game of Thrones actress to portray the girl from Jakku.

Jessica Henwick might be known as Jess Pava in Star Wars: The Force Awakens but there was a time when the Iron Fist actress was being considered for a bigger role in the film. While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Henwick admitted that she auditioned for a lead role in the movie.

"Oh my God, dude," Henwick said. "That was f--king six months. That was a long one. I was auditioning for a different character, actually, so I spent six months auditioning for that character."

Although Henwick didn't specify the role, the report confirmed that she was actually auditioning as Rey. Although Ridley would eventually win the part, it was revealed that Abrams was so impressed with Henwick that he decided to find a way to keep her in The Force Awakens.

"At the end, J.J. said, 'I want you to be in the film, but I want to write a character for you,'" Henwick said. "That's how Jess Pava was created. So, it was a very, very long experience. It's hard because I've been doing this long enough to know that you go in, audition, put it to the back of your mind, don't think about it and don't get emotionally invested."

We can't help but wonder how different Rey would have been if she was portrayed by a different actress. Nevertheless, it's great to know that Henwick left an amazing impression on Abrams and somehow managed to become a part of the Star Wars saga.

Henwick has been cast in an undisclosed role in The Matrix 4, which will also star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Keanu Reeves, and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Related: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Actress Reveals Jess Pava's Fate in The Rise of Skywalker