By Spencer Coile
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As the year of Laura Dern rages forward, ignited by Big Little Lies, it was only a matter of time before fans learned a little bit about her character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Marking her first appearance into the franchise, Dern's role is an invention of director Rian Johnson's, playing Vice Admiral Holdo, an officer of the Resistance. But if that weren't enough for us lucky fans, Annie Leibovitz of Vanity Fair went on set and snapped some stunning photos of numerous cast members of The Last Jedi. Pictured above is Dern's colorful, sweeping, elegant look (the film's costume design is by Michael Kaplan). I don't know about you, but this one photo is enough to help me make it to December.
Arriving in December, The Last Jedi will put a nice cap on 2017 for Laura Dern. So let's look at what she is busy with this year...
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Queen of both film and television this year, Dern's most notable role of 2017 so far has been Renata Klein in Big Little Lies. Armed with floppy hats, a never-ending supply of wine, and an eye patch, Dern was serving us some quality Real Housewives of Monterey glamour. But, having been a Dern fan for years and years now, it would be so simple to chalk Renata up to be the villain of the story. Instead, Dern imbues this women with a cocktail of arrogance, abrasiveness, but also a deep longing to feel accepted, and insecurities about her role as a working mother. Given half the screentime as Kidman, Witherspoon, and Woodley, Dern still manages to create a complete and harrowing portrait of a women who "has it all." It is stunning work.
Never one to be upstaged, Miss Dern has dipped her toes into the realm of comedy, making guest apperances on The Last Man on Earth and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She will also allegedly play a role in Lynch's revival of Twin Peaks, which is relatively unsurprising considering Dern's extensive background with Lynch (for any Peaks fans out there, has she made an appearance yet? Asking for a friend).
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Dern as Wendy Hebert on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
But if that weren't enough, she graced our theater screens this year alongside Woody Harrelson in Wilson. Although the film itself is a scattered mess, we were still fortunate enough to watch Dern play a character named Pippi, which should be enough for any die-hard fan to buy a ticket. She will finish the year off (hopefully) strong with other film roles in Downsizing, the latest from Alexander Payne, and of course, The Last Jedi. Little is known about these future films, but one thing is certain: Dern is sure to have an eclectic year ahead of her. So while we wait for her bring us joy in the Star Wars universe, let's all take a second and make her latest Vanity Fair photo our phone backgrounds (it's already mine), and continue celebrating the Year of Dern.