Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley

Ridley at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley
(1992-04-10) 10 April 1992
Westminster, London, England
Education Birkbeck, University of London
Occupation Actress
Years active 2013–present

Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She began her acting career by appearing in minor television roles and short films before being cast as the main protagonist, Rey, in the Star Wars sequel trilogy – first appearing in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).

Early life

Daisy Ridley was born on 10 April 1992,[1][2] in Westminster, London. She is the youngest of three daughters born to Louise Fawkner-Corbett and Chris Ridley. She has two older sisters, Kika Rose and Poppy Sophia. She also has two older half-sisters from her father's first marriage.[3][4] Her mother's family, the Fawkner-Corbetts, were landed gentry with a military and medical background.[5] Her great-uncle was Dad's Army actor and playwright Arnold Ridley.[6] When she was growing up, her favourite film was Matilda (1996), an adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's story, with the title character (played by Mara Wilson in the film) a role model to her.[7] Ridley won a scholarship to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, which she attended between the ages of 9 and 18.[8][9][10] She then began to study classical civilisation at Birkbeck, University of London, before dropping out to concentrate on her acting career.[10]

Career

Early career

Ridley began her career with minor roles in the television programmes Youngers, Toast of London, Silent Witness, Mr Selfridge and Casualty.[11][12][13][14] She also appeared in the short film Blue Season, which was entered into the Sci-Fi-London 48-Hour Film Challenge.[15] Ridley played the lead in film three of Lifesaver,[16] an interactive film which was nominated for a BAFTA Award.[17] She has also appeared in the music video for Wiley's song "Lights On", playing the character of Kim.[8][18]

Star Wars breakout role

In April 2014, Ridley's casting as Rey, one of the lead characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was announced.[11][12][13] She was chosen for the film in February 2014.[19] At the time of her casting she was, according to Rolling Stone, a "total unknown."[20] Her choice by director J. J. Abrams was seen as a repeat of George Lucas's move of casting relatively unknown actors for the lead roles in the first Star Wars film in 1977.[21] Prior to the film's release in October 2015, Ridley appeared at the launch of a set of Star Wars postage stamps issued by the UK postal service Royal Mail, with Ridley's character Rey featuring on a stamp along with the droid BB-8.[22] With international revenues of over $2 billion,[23] The Force Awakens was a major box-office hit and the highest-grossing film of 2015. After an early screening of the film, Brian Viner of the Daily Mail called Ridley the "real star of the show," adding that her performance as Rey should "send her career into orbit."[24] Her performance received critical acclaim, with Richard Roeper describing her portrayal as "a breakout performance" and adding "Ford has a terrific father figure chemistry (shared) with Ridley and (John) Boyega".[25]

Upcoming roles

Ridley will continue her role as Rey in Star Wars: Episode VIII opposite Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker,[26] which is scheduled to be released in December 2017.[27]

Ridley is to star in a film adaptation of Agatha Christie's detective novel Murder on the Orient Express. Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, production began in London in November 2016.[28] In August 2016, it was announced that she is set to star in the movie adaptation of the young adult novel series Chaos Walking.[29] In 2018, Ridley is set to star in an animated/live-action adaptation of Peter Rabbit, the central character from the children's stories by Beatrix Potter.[30]

Voice acting

The English dub of the animated film Only Yesterday (1991), released on 1 January 2016 in New York City, with a wider US release through 26 February. Ridley voiced the lead role of Taeko, the film allowed Ridley to work alongside another Star Wars veteran voice actress Ashley Eckstein (whom is known for voicing Ahsoka Tano, the most prominent female protagonist in Star Wars animation) in the role of her sister Yaeko.[31][32][33]

Producing

Ridley became executive producer of the documentary The Eagle Huntress in January 2016.[34] Director Otto Bell said of her commitment, "Like so many other theatergoers around the world, I was blown away by Daisy's recent portrayal of an empowered female protagonist. I'm thrilled she'll be bringing that same energy to supporting a real-world heroine who is also on an epic journey to win victory in a far away land." The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 24 January 2016, with Ridley also narrating.[35][36]

Music

Ridley is one of several actors featured on Barbra Streisand's 2016 album Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. Along with Anne Hathaway, Ridley and Streisand perform the song "At the Ballet" from A Chorus Line, with Ridley performing the role of Bebe, one of a trio of dancers hoping to be cast in an upcoming show.[37]

Personal life

Ridley has a tattoo of three stars on her left foot that she got when she was 15,[38] a tattoo of the alchemical symbol of air on her upper right thigh,[39] and a peace symbol tattoo behind her right ear.[40] Ridley also owns a dog called Muffin.[41] She was voted No. 1 on AskMen.com's Crush List 2016,[42] and also appeared in People magazine's World's Most Beautiful 2016 list.[43]

Ridley suffers from endometriosis, caused by polycystic ovaries, which required her to undergo multiple laparoscopic surgeries.[44][45] She revealed over the social media site Instagram that she was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 15, and admitted that the condition left her feeling low in self-confidence due to acne that followed. Ridley was praised for her message by news outlets and fans alike.[46]

In August 2016, after receiving harsh criticism for posting an anti-gun violence message on her Instagram account, Ridley deleted her Instagram account.[47] The actress briefly returned to Instagram and said that the reason behind the deletion was because she had "a busy few months ahead and [so] wanted less distractions."[48]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Lifesaver Jo Short film
2013 Blue Season Sarah Short film
2013 100% BEEF Girl Short film[49]
2013 Crossed Wires Her Short film[50]
2015 Scrawl Hannah
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rey
2016 Only Yesterday Taeko Okajima Voice role (English dub)
2016 The Eagle Huntress Narrator Also producer
2017 Murder on the Orient Express Mary Debenham Filming
2017 Star Wars: Episode VIII Rey In post-production[51][52]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Casualty Fran Bedingfield Episode: "And the Walls Come Tumbling Down"
2013 Youngers Jessie Episode: "A to B and the Apology"
2013 Toast of London Charlotte Episode: "Vanity Project"
2014 Silent Witness Hannah Kennedy 2 episodes
2014 Mr Selfridge Roxy Starlet Episode: "2.8"
2015 Saturday Night Live Herself Segment: "Star Wars Auditions"

Music videos

Year Artist(s) Title
2013 Wiley "Lights On"

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes
2015 Disney Infinity 3.0 Rey Star Wars: The Force Awakens playset
2016 Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2015 Zed Fest Film Festival Outstanding Acting Performance Scrawl Won [53]
Florida Film Critics Circle FCC Breakout Award Star Wars: The Force Awakens Won [54]
2016 Central Ohio Film Critics Association Breakthrough Film Artist Nominated [55]
Georgia Film Critics Association Breakthrough Award Nominated [56]
EDA Awards Best Female Action Star Nominated [57]
Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actress Nominated [58]
Empire Awards Best Female Newcomer Won [59]
MTV Movie Awards Best Female Performance Nominated [60]
Best Hero Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance Won
Best Fight (with Adam Driver) Nominated
Saturn Awards Best Actress Nominated [61]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actress – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Nominated [62]
Choice Movie: Chemistry (with John Boyega) Nominated
Choice Movie: Breakout Star Won

References

  1. Goodwin, Jess (7 January 2015). "Daisy Ridley: 7 Things You Might Not Know About The 'Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens' Actress". Fashion & Style. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  2. "Daisy Jazz I Ridley". FamilySearch. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  3. "9 Things You Need to Know About 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Leading Lady Daisy Ridley". Entertainment Online. "The London native's full name is Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley. As if that wasn't magical enough, her siblings also have names fit for English roses -- one quite literally. Her two older sisters are Kika-Rose and Poppy Sophia, a model and aspiring musician, respectively, and she has two half-sisters from her father's first marriage. Ridley grew up in an exclusive community in central London, and her great-grandfather, William Victor Fawkner-Corbett, served as a colonel in World War I."
  4. "Daisy Ridley: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know". Heavy Entertainment. Retrieved 19 December 2015
  5. Burke's Landed Gentry 1952, pg 528, 'Fawkner-Corbett of Brown Edge'
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  9. Cable, Simon; Boshoff, Alison (1 May 2014). "'She is an amazing and very inspiring person': Daisy Ridley's family celebrate her leading role in the new Star Wars movie". Daily Mail. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
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