Star Wars fans got a surprise in the first two episodes of the new Disney Plus original series Obi-Wan Kenobi — a young Princess Leia. After being iconically portrayed by the late Carrie Fisher in the original and sequel Star Wars trilogies, this sprite-sized but firecracker edition of Leia is played by actress Vivien Lyra Blair.
FYI, we’re going to get into some light spoilers for the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
With the story of the limited series focused on Obi-Wan’s (Ewan McGregor) time in exile after the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, we knew we’d see at least a little bit of a young Luke Skywalker. But lo and behold it is the future Jedi Master’s estranged twin sister who's central to the plot. It's her kidnapping from Alderaan that brings Obi-Wan out of hiding and quickly has the inquisitor Reva (Moses Ingram) on his tail.
It’s possible that this is the first time that many are seeing Blair on screen, however, the young actress has already built up a very solid resume. Here are some of the biggest roles of Vivien Lyra Blair’s career thus far.
Vivien Lyra Blair roles
Waco (2018)
One of Blair’s first roles was in the TV limited series Waco about the Branch Davidians compound that was seized by law enforcement in 1993 near Waco, Texas. Blair played Serenity Jones, a daughter of one of the members of the group that tragically died as a result of the fire that ended the 51-day siege of the compound.
Watch now on Paramount Plus (US only).
Bird Box (2018)
Blair starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the sci-fi horror movie, Bird Box, playing Bullock’s daughter, simply named Girl. Blair had her face mostly covered by the blindfold the characters wear to protect them from the ominous force that has created the movie’s apocalyptic world.
Watch now on Netflix (US/UK).
Station 19
Appearing in the Station 19 season 2 episode, "The Dark Night," Blair played Penny, a 6-year-old girl who went missing and needed to be rescued by the show’s heroes.
Watch now on Hulu (US)/Disney Plus (UK).
We Can Be Heroes (2020)
Robert Rodriguez’s kid-centric superhero movie, We Can Be Heroes, is another example of Blair playing the child of famous parents. This time she plays Guppy, the superpowered daughter of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Blair proved to be more than capable in the action role, revealing in a behind-the-scenes video that knowing taekwondo allowed her to do some of her own stunts.
Watch now on Netflix (US/UK).
Mr. Corman
Blair was part of the cast of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Apple TV Plus dramedy Mr. Corman, which saw the actor star as a public school teacher struggling with anxiety about his life. Blair played the character Sara and appeared in two episodes of the show.
Watch now on Apple TV Plus (US/UK).
The First Lady
In addition to playing future Star Wars leader Princess Leia, Blair has played another young famous figure, Eleanor Roosevelt, in the Showtime series The First Lady. Blair portrayed the first lady and activist as a child, appearing in the pilot episode.
Watch now on the Showtime app (US only), available soon on Paramount Plus (UK)
Vivien Lyra Blair upcoming roles
Blair has two upcoming movie roles, according to IMDb. First, she is playing Emily Gladstone as part of the cast of Dear Zoe, which stars Stranger Things stars Sadie Sink, Theo Rossi, Jessica Capshaw and Justin Bartha.
She is also slated to star in an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Bogeyman.
