Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley, Rey from Star Wars, is an ingenuous girl born in Westminster, London, on 10 April, 1992. The youngest of three daughters, at the age of nine, she was awarded a scholarship to the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, England. There she trained in musical theatre and at the age of 18, she graduated. The foundation for a promising career had been set; yet she went on to read classical civilisation at Birkbeck, University of London, before dropping out to follow her dream.
Upon completing her education at Tring Park School, she was offered several television roles. She played supporting characters in ‘Youngers’, ‘Toast of London’, ‘Mr Selfridge’ and ‘Casualty’. Daisy Ridley also appeared in a rap music video for Wiley’s song ‘Lights On’. During this period, times were tough, and to support herself she worked as a waitress in a public house for two years.
Things turned around in 2014, when she was cast as a lead in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. Upon the announcement, there was much talk about how the movie makers had decided to go with an actor who was unknown to many. Daisy Ridley began filming the movie in May 2014, and in December 2015, it opened to rave reviews, becoming the highest grossing film of the year. No one could deny it – the real star of the show was Daisy Ridley, and if her performance as the formidable, stubborn, brave Rey was anything to go by, her career was about to launch for the stars.
The predictions were right, for she went on to work as executive producer on the documentary ‘The Eagle Huntress’ in 2016. She also featured on Barbra Streisand’s album ‘Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway’. In 2017, she portrayed Mary Debenham in ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ and reprised her role in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’. She was seen in ‘Ophelia’ in 2018 and voiced the role of Cottontail in ‘Peter Rabbit’. This month, she reprises her role once again in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’, the last film in the trilogy.
Daisy has been vocal about her struggle with endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, raising awareness about the issue and her experience with undergoing several laparoscopic surgeries. She has also made her anti-gun violence stance known.
Daisy Ridley will be seen in ‘Chaos Walking’ opposite Tom Holland and will reteam with J.J. Abrams in the supernatural drama ‘Kolma’. She is also set to play Lanka, a Polish art student, in ‘The Lost Wife’.
With a myriad of challenging and versatile roles on her plate and some amazing work in the pipeline, Daisy’s star is on the rise, and there’s only bigger and better things coming her way!