Daisy Ridley Interview Roundup

By: Dominic Jones

Over the past week or so, sequel trilogy star Daisy Ridley has been doing lots of interviews promoting her latest film, Ophelia.  While talking with various outlets, she has, of course, been asked lots of Star Wars questions, both about the future as Rey in The Rise of Skywalker (hitting theaters this December) and her experiences working on The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. We've collected many of these interviews, and featured them below,

First up, Daisy appeared on the show AM to DM.  In the video, she confirmed that she would not be appearing in the "next" trilogy (be it the one from Rian Johnson or the one from David Benioff and D.B. Weiss).  However, she did say when asked about any other potential return to the saga, she said "It's a great universe, I've had a great time."  You can watch the video below,

She also appeared on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast with MTV's Josh Horowitz, where she had high praise for the lightsaber duel that she shot for The Rise Of Skywalker.  She also revealed that for the first few weeks of filming her character's name was "Kira" before it was ultimately changed to Rey.  She also talked about the audition process for The Force Awakens and her early days on set.  You can listen to the podcast below,

Ridley also broke down a "typical British day" in this video for Vanity Fair,

She also sat down with USA Today, and answered several questions about Star Wars, including how shooting The Rise of Skywalker compared to the other two films in the trilogy, reaction to The Last Jedi, and (of course) Rey's parents,

USA Today: "The Force Awakens" was a familiar, fun reintroduction to the "Star Wars" universe, while "The Last Jedi" was a darker, riskier installment. How does "The Rise of Skywalker" compare?

Ridley: Genre-wise, it’s different from the other two, which will become clear when the film comes out. It's quite emotional. There's a different drive than the previous two films, but there's a lot of fun. I really missed John (Boyega) during the last one, but we're back together and now Oscar (Isaac) is part of it. To me, it felt like kids going on an adventure.

USA Today: There's been an intense obsession with Rey's parents, and many fans were dissatisfied when they were revealed to be "nobodies" in "The Last Jedi." Is there more to their story in the new film?

Ridley: (Director J.J. Abrams) did say the question is answered. So at the end of the film, you do know what the dealio is. 

USA Today: Writer/director Rian Johnson received a ton of backlash online after "The Last Jedi," with many fans petitioning to remake the film and redeem Luke Skywalker's character. Were you surprised at all by the controversy?

Ridley: I wasn't surprised, no. 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. If people hold something incredibly dear and think they know how it should be and it's not like that, it’s fair for people to think they were done wrong. It doesn’t mean they were – ultimately, Rian’s a filmmaker and one person can’t dictate how a film is supposed to be – but freedom of expression, sure.

Ridley also spoke with Vulture about her hug with Carrie Fisher (seen in the teaser trailer for The Rise of Skywalker), as well as her potential future with the franchise,

Vulture: In the new Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer, we see you and Carrie Fisher embracing, a tear running down your face. I know that that scene was compiled using unused footage from The Force Awakens, but do you remember the original context of that moment?

Ridley:I do! It’s not a million miles away from what this scene is. It was very sad. I found it very moving to watch it, because I do remember the original. And it’s a strange thing to do, for someone that’s not around anymore to be brought back to life. It’s eerie that it resonates so much with what the story is this time. It’s pretty amazing.

Vulture: Do you remember how you and Carrie discussed playing the scene?

Ridley: She was actually whispering, “This is a fucking long hug.” [Laughs.] I was trying to do my acting, like, “Oh my god, Carrie!” There wasn’t any discussion about what we were gonna do. 

Vulture: When you look ahead at the Disney calendar, there’s a new Star Wars movie planned every other year until 2027. Carrie and so many other Star Wars stars continued to appear in the franchise as long as they could — do you imagine yourself doing so, if you’re given the chance?

Ridley: I can’t actually imagine it right now. The ending to Rise of Skywalker … Rise of the Skywalker? The Rise of Skywalker — sorry, jet lag — it’s very satisfying. It felt like an end. I don’t know what’ll happen in however many years. There are so many characters in the Star Wars world who’ve never been explored. There’s so much for the filmmakers to work on. So right now, I don’t think so. But who could say, really? An opportunity might present itself. I love how the movie hasn’t come out and people are like, “What about going forward?” [Laughs.] Right now, it feels like a really nice full stop on the Skywalker series.

You can also check out Ridley's appearance on The Tonight Show here and her appearance on Good Morning America here.

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20th, 2019.  The film is directed by JJ Abrams, with a script by Abrams and Chris Terio, and stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant, Naomi Ackie, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie Fisher.

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