The 2015 film was her first major role
Daisy Ridley has said she felt like quitting Star Wars while filming The Force Awakens.
The actor, who made her first appearance as Rey in the 2015 film, had only a handful of bit parts to her name before signing on to the iconic franchise.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ridley described the experience as “pretty horrible”. “It was really scary,” she explained. “I felt just sick and I didn’t really know anyone yet. It takes me a really long time to settle down with people.
“And I do remember being behind the speeder and there were loads of people there and somebody had an umbrella over me. Even that, [I was] like, ‘Oh someone’s holding an umbrella over you? OK.’ And I remember thinking, ‘I can’t do it. I can’t do this, this is not right.’”
Ridley said even her mum was shocked that she had been cast, but told her at the Force Awakens premiere: “I’m nervous, but there must be a reason why they cast you.” The actor added that while her feelings “still sort of carried on”, she felt “more confident now.”
The star will reprise her role in the next Star Wars movie, The Rise Of Skywalker, which is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on December 19, 2019.
Meanwhile, Ridley recently said the lukewarm reception for The Last Jedi was “fair”. “I wasn’t surprised, no,” she said when asked about fans’ negative reactions to the film. “It’s just a different thing. Everyone’s going to have an opinion now anyway on the internet, but I also think it’s fair.”
