Daisy Ridley recently expressed that the criticism she received for her role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker continues to be distressing, even after almost five years since the movie’s premiere.
Ridley recently appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and discussed the reception to the 2019 film. She expressed her disappointment in the divisive reaction and the fear of not meeting fan expectations. She noted that while the first film had a positive response, the second and third films were met with much controversy. However, her personal feelings about the film remained unchanged.
JJ Abrams directed the ninth installment of the Star Wars series, titled The Rise of Skywalker. It continued the “Skywalker saga” and followed Abrams’s successful 2015 film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the mixed reception of Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017. The Rise of Skywalker had the lowest revenue among the three films in the “sequel trilogy” of the Skywalker saga, earning $1.08bn globally and a comparatively lower $515m in North America. Actress Daisy Ridley portrayed the character of Rey in all three films.
During their conversation, Horowitz inquired about the “kiss moment” and Rey’s romantic involvement with Kylo Ren (portrayed by Adam Driver). Ridley responded by saying that it felt justified. She also emphasized the importance of intentionality, stating that in that moment, it felt like a farewell. Despite different interpretations, she felt that it was a goodbye. The scene as a whole evoked strong emotions and she also felt like she was bidding farewell to her role.
Ridley expressed that during the filming of a final scene by herself, she became emotional and began crying because it felt like a true farewell.
In a 2019 interview with GQ, Ridley discussed the pressure of working on the Star Wars movies and shared that it caused her physical health to suffer. She explained that she experienced digestive issues and malnutrition due to stress, which left her feeling exhausted and frail.
Ridley has been cast as Rey in a new installment of the Star Wars franchise, which will be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Initially unsure about accepting the role offered by Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy, Ridley expressed her excitement for the project in a recent interview with Variety. She praised Obaid-Chinoy’s past work and described her vision for the story as “cool as heck.” Without giving away any details, Ridley shared that she was given a full overview of the plot and was immediately convinced to take on the role.
Source: theguardian.com