Kyriana Kratter: “I drew a lot from my own personality to portray KB”

After starring in ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’, Kyriana Kratter shares how she has experienced this journey and how KB, her character, has helped define her personal style.

Last December, the new series in the Star Wars universe, ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’, premiered, and at just 14 years old, Kyriana Kratter had the honour of being one of its stars, playing the character of KB. It was an incredible experience for the young actress, who reveals that she has been a fan of the franchise since she was very young: “I’ve loved Star Wars since I was a little kid, and it’s so special that I get to be a part of it. My family and I have watched all the movies and series together for a long time, and it’s been amazing to share everything with them.” Being such a big fan of Star Wars, Kyriana is very clear that if she had to pick a character, it would be Princess Leia, especially because she reminds her so much of herself as a child. However, Leia was not the inspiration for KB: “They are very different characters. Leia is bold, fearless, independent, and always says what she’s thinking. KB is the opposite: she’s quiet, relies heavily on Fern, and doesn’t say what’s on her mind. I probably drew a lot more from my own personality to create KB,” she explains.

Of course, in any Star Wars production, action is guaranteed—especially with directors like Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, who also directed films like ‘Spider-Man’. “I’m a huge Spider-Man fan, and I was so excited to work with Jon and Chris. The Spider-Man movies are funny and full of heart, and you can see that in ‘Skeleton Crew’, too,” Kyriana said. With such a high level of action, the young actress had to undergo intensive training: “Before we started filming, I wasn’t sure how much action there would be. I wanted to be ready for anything, so I took parkour classes and learned archery, wushu, and jiu-jitsu. We also had some stunt training, which was really fun! I just wish we’d had more stunt scenes,” she shared.

Another essential ingredient in the Star Wars universe is its incredible settings and, despite the use of CGI, created by highly talented special effects masters, and green screens, the American actress says there were enough practical elements to make her feel truly immersed in the different planets. “It’s the special effects that make this show so amazing and fun to watch. As an actress, working with green screens can be challenging, but being on the volume set is a dream come true. Everything looks so real. Even on the volume stage, there were lots of real props, and the ground had rocks, sand, and other real elements. The creatures are puppets, except for SM-33’s eye mouse,” Kyriana explained.

Despite her fascination with the sets, Kyriana’s favourite part of working on this series was undoubtedly her co-stars Ravi, Ryan Kiera, Robert, and, of course, Jude Law. “I felt so lucky to be able to work with other kids!” she said excitedly. “We always had fun together on set, and now that filming has ended, we still hang out, both in person and virtually. I love them all so much! And I learned so much from Jude. He’s one of the best actors I’ve ever met.”

KB is one of the standout characters in the series due to her futuristic aesthetic, silver hair, and modern glasses. Kyriana confirms that the transformation process was painstaking, but she thoroughly enjoyed it: “To create the visor, the team at Ironhead Studios scanned and made 3D copies of my head to ensure it fit perfectly. They even created different types of visors for various shots. As for the hair, I chose to wear the silver wig instead of keeping my natural hair colour, and I feel completely transformed when I have it on. I had to shave half my head to make it look authentic, but it turned out so real that people on set were asking if I’d dyed my hair,” she said.

Fashion has been in Kyriana’s blood since she was a child and is something she has always loved. Her mother had a clothing line, and Kyriana would sometimes change outfits up to five times a day. She even modelled for her mother’s brand. Being in the film industry, and especially portraying KB, has helped her discover, experiment with, and define her personal style.“I got to experience a completely new and futuristic style, and her jumpsuit was so much fun to wear every day because it was comfortable yet stylish. While filming, I was so used to wearing my visor over my eyes that I wore a lot of sunglasses off set. KB also inspired me to wear baggier clothing and silver jewellery. I’m obsessed with wide-leg trousers and Vivienne Westwood silver necklaces,” Kyriana shared. Off set, the young actress is heavily inspired by the British singer Beabadoobee’s style and also loves walking around L.A. and drawing inspiration from people’s outfits on the streets. She also finds runway looks fascinating. “I hope I can attend Paris Fashion Week and watch some runway shows in the future,” she said dreamily.

At such a young age, it must be difficult for Kyriana to process all the incredible experiences she’s had over these past months. She admits she hasn’t fully taken it all in yet: “I auditioned nearly two years ago, and we had to keep everything a secret for so long that only now is everything starting to sink in. I’m just so grateful to have been able to play a Star Wars character and fulfil my childhood dream,” she concluded gratefully.

Credits:
Photographer: Jesse Volk
Stylist: Tracy Shapoff
Hair/Makeup: Emma Croft