What sort of actor is Daisy Ridley? Four words might cover it. “I’m not an arsehole!” says the 33-year-old Star Wars alum, in that buoyant, unassuming voice that makes you instantly believe her. “That seems like a funny thing to say, but over time, you realise people [in show business] behave really badly. I’m hardworking; I turn up on time; I know my lines; I know where I need to be.” She pauses. “But in a sort of metaphysical way? I don’t know…”
It’s been over a decade now since Ridley was cast as the lead in 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, once the third-biggest film of all time. Flanked by John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver, Ridley was the face of Disney’s sequel trilogy, playing the Luke Skywalker-esque Jedi prodigy plucked from sandy anonymity to save the galaxy. From this success came other blockbusters – the Agatha Christie adaptation Murder on the Orient Express (2017), the YA sci-fi Chaos Walking (2021), opposite Tom Holland – as well as more cerebral indie fare.
