10 Things You Don't Know About Daisy Ridley
Daisy Ridley, the English actress known for her portrayal of Rey Skywalker in the sequel trilogy, is more reclusive than your average Hollywood star. This doesn't prevent her from saying what she's thinking. Here are 10 things you may not know about the Jedi protagonist of the sequel trilogy.
10. Family
Daisy Ridley is the youngest of three daughters of Louise Fawkner-Corbett and Christopher Ridley. She also has two older half-sisters from her father's previous marriage. Born in Westminster, a borough of London, her maternal side is full of medical and military personnel. On her father's side, her uncle Arnold Ridley is an accomplished playwright and actor.
9. Early Life
Born in London, Ridley spent her childhood in the rural district of Maida Vale. While the area was known to be home to fairly well off families and rich individuals, Ridley claims that she and her family grew up in the ricketiest home on the street. High energy and "naughty" as a child, Daisy was described as a tomboy in her youth, but she has pushed back against that term saying that she was simply active, like many young girls.
8. Childhood Fandoms
While Daisy Ridley has admitted that she had no real connection with Star Wars as a child, she was not without fandoms. She read and adored the Harry Potter books and patiently waited for the release of each new movie. Ridley also loved Roald Dahl's Matilda, as well as the film, saying she often tried to fashion her actions and behavior after that of Matilda Wormwood.
7. Acting Education
Due to her childhood high energy, her mother sent her to boarding school, hoping it would keep her in occupied and out of trouble. She spent nine years at Tring Park School for Performing Arts, until she was 18. At age 17, she met a drama teacher who encouraged her to pursue acting. She briefly attended the University of London but dropped out to focus on her acting career.
6. Song Bird
As a result of her training at Tring Park, Ridley is an avid and talented singer. She frequently bursts into song during the course of her day. She is a fan of Lizzo and her discography is common in Ridley's repertoire. During filming of The Force Awakens in 2015, Daisy lost a bet with director J.J. Abrams that she could go an entire day without singing.
5. Film Debut
Daisy Ridley first appeared onscreen in 2015 in an independent horror movie called Scrawl. Directed by Peter Hearn, the film centers around a young comic book artist, Joe, whose illustrations come to life and attack our world. Ridley plays Hannah, a mysterious girl from Joe's comics. The film was positively received by audiences and independent critics and even garnered several awards for the films director.
4. Work Before Star Wars
As an up and coming actress, Ridley worked several odd jobs to pay the bills. She was a barmaid at two different pubs in London for approximately two years before making it big with Star Wars. Her bartending skills are not going to waste in her new life as an actress, as she helped serve drinks at The Force Awakens wrap party. She also worked in a mall during the Christmas season as one of Father Christmas's elves before being promoted to fairy princess.
3. Unknown Casting
A staple of Star Wars casting is the use of total unknowns in starring roles. Prior to the filming of the original trilogy, Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter while Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher would be cast in their breakout roles in Star Wars. Likewise, Ridley was also virtually unknown prior to being cast, with her addition to the film drawing comparisons to the similar castings of Ford, Hamill, and Fisher in 1977.
2. Quit Social Media
Unfortunately, like many actors in the sequel trilogy, Daisy has stopped participating in social media. The sequel trilogy is, needless to say, divisive which has made Ridley the target of much of the vitriol from toxic fans. This only increased after Ridley made several posts decrying gun violence. Oddly enough, she also cites her vegan diet as a source of online harassments. Ridley says that leaving social media has had a positive impact on her mental health.
1. Final Thoughts on Rey
While Ridley is open to returning to the Star Wars universe, she believes there are other stories to be told first. When asked about a return as Rey by CinemaBlend, Ridley responded, "I'm always open to a revisit. But also the beautiful thing is its this wonderful, huge universe with all of these stories that have yet to be told. I think there's a lot of cool things to be made before a revisit." These words are similar sentiments that her costar, John Boyega, expressed when asked about a Finn show on Disney+.