If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Dafne Keen got her X23 role in Logan thanks to the "confidence of an 11-year-old" after botching her final audition (and making Hugh Jackman wait for a do-over)
May we all have the unearned confidence of an 11-year-old Dafne Keen going for her breakout role in Logan.
Popverse's top stories of the day
- NYCC 2025 Tickets onsale dates are here - as well as an exclusive pre-sale to get all the best badges!
- MEMBERS ONLY: For Your Consideration: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween and Scream perfected the horror sequel years before Final Destination: Bloodlines
- WATCH NOW: How to be a D&D Dungeon Master, according to Wizards of the Coast's game director James Wyatt and principal game designer James Wyatt
Some castings seem obvious in hindsight. Just like Marvel may never let anyone but Hugh Jackman play Wolverine, it is hard to imagine anyone other than Dafne Keen as X23 in Logan (and Deadpool and Wolverine, of course). However, she still had to go through the whole audition process, which is a lot to ask from an 11-year-old. However, it turns out Dafne Keen used her young age to her advantage after she gave a terrible audition in the final round of casting for Logan.
During an appearance at Calgary Expo 2025, Dafne Keen recounted the long audition process that she went through to get the part of X23 in Logan. After five different taped auditions, Keen was up against one other actress for the role. At this crucial stage, Keen admits that she “did a terrible audition. It was atrocious. It was really, really bad.”
So, how did she end up with the part if her final audition was so bad? She mustered up all the weird fearlessness of an 11-year-old and simply asked to do it again. “So, I did a terrible audition, and then on my way out I was like, ‘I gotta do it again.’ And I asked my mum to ask them… and they made Mr. Hugh Jackman wait, which is crazy. Which I’d never do now as a 20-year-old. When you’re 11, you have the confidence.”
After making the actual star of the movie wait, Dafne Keen went back in and did the audition again, but not before she corrected some parts of the script. “I went in there and I… first of all, I was like ‘This Spanish in this script is incorrect,’ because I’m Spanish and I corrected it. I was like ‘This is the correct version of it and also can I improv?’”
Because if you’re going to do the audition again, you might as well go for it all the way.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.