In 2014, Daisy Ridley joined the cast of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and later appeared in ‘The Last Jedi’ and ‘The Rise Of Skywalker.’ While many fans liked her part in the franchise, the director felt the need to warn the actress about the significance of her character. He reportedly said:
“Understand the scale. This is not a role in a movie. This is a religion for people. It changes things on a level that is inconceivable.”
Ridley, who is getting ready to appear in a new ‘Star Wars’ film in 2026, shared her thoughts about Abrams’ comment during a recent chat with Inverse:
“When all of the craziness was going on. I was like, ‘I’m good. I’m good. I’m coping fine. Everything’s fine.’ And I was fine, for the most part. But I think what I was really grappling with was that it was my normal, but it was not normal to other people.”
She Wasn’t Happy With Her Performance
As a twenty-year-old actress, Daisy Ridley was one of the youngest cast members on set during the filming of ‘The Force Awakens.’ This caused her to have a hard time with her portrayal of Rey. Talking to Clique, she recalled her early times in the franchise by saying:
“After the screening of the first film, I told myself that I was sh*t and that I was really worthless. I cried my eyes out thinking I was the worst thing that ever happened to ‘Star Wars.’ I had never seen myself in a leading role, so for me, it was something unexpected and very surprising; it overwhelmed me.”
It took her two sequel films to ‘feel worthy’ of being a part of the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Meanwhile, her films achieved great success by grossing billions at the box office.
Ridley Will Return To The Series
Now, the actress is set to reprise her role as Rey in an upcoming ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, which Lucasfilm announced at the ‘Star Wars’ Celebration 2023. This time, she accepted the offer to join the cast based on a plot outline of ‘New Jedi Order’ and shared her excitement with Collider:
“I’m very excited. The story is really cool. I’m waiting to read a script because, obviously, I don’t have any other updates. It’s not what I expected, but I’m very excited.”
Rey will try to reform the Jedi Order in the new film, set for release in 2026. While waiting for its arrival, Ridley’s other project, ‘Sometimes I Think About Dying,’ will hit the theater on January 26.