Nearly nine years ago, Daisy Ridley made her first appearance as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens before reprising her role in the two sequels that followed. More recently, Ridley signed on to return as Rey in another sequel that will begin a new era for the Jedi. That film will inevitably feature new cast members who will undergo the same life-changing events that Ridley went through she joined the franchise. During a recent interview with Empire, Ridley reflected on how being cast as Rey changed the trajectory of her life.
“There was a lot of love and protection,” said Ridley. “I can’t really remember that well — it was ten years ago. There was a lot of support given, but nothing can really prepare you for what you’re going to go through on an individual level.”
“I think when everything actually happened, I stayed at home and sort of was like, ‘Okay!’ There’s a craziness, and then everything goes away again, which is great,” added Ridley. “For all the people going, ‘Your life is going to change,’ it did in some ways, and then you just go to your mum’s house and you’re like, ‘Okay, this is nice.’ Having such a solid foundation was the absolute best thing for me. Obviously, on a professional scale, things changed, and [in terms of ] anonymity, things change, but only actually really briefly. There were a lot of changes, but also many things stayed the same.”
In a previous excerpt from this interview, Ridley stated that it was an easy decision to return to her role as Rey. She also offered a brief update on where things stand.
“I know the story beats [for Rey’s arc], but other than that, I’m not sure what it’s going to be. But I’m reading a script next month. I’m curious about it all.”
Lucasfilm hasn’t officially set a date for Ridley’s next Star Wars film.
