Welcome back to the Star Wars universe! How different
was working with director Rian Johnson compared to JJ
Abrams on The Force Awakens?
DAISY RIDLEY: It is a different experience because,
energy-wise, Rian and JJ Abrams are different. They’re
also similar in many ways: They’re fanboys who both
know the universe so well.
The movie picks up instantly after the last one, with
Rey meeting Luke Skywalker for the first time.
Rey [is] pushing Luke Skywalker [to rejoin the
Resistance]. Luke is totally hard on her. Pretty harsh,
actually. But, she persists, and crazy stuff happens.
She’s learning not to believe the hype. Even on Jakku,
in the backend of nowhere in space, she’s heard stories
about Luke. And he makes her realise that it’s not
all as rosy as it seems to be. She’s learning her own
strengths and weaknesses and continuing to learn
about the human psyche, because she hasn’t really had
relationships with people before.
She’s training to be a Jedi. Is it exciting to play
someone with those kinds of powers?
Rey doesn’t see herself as this powerful being, [even
though] people see her as that. They talk about her
potential, and she doesn’t really feel it. But she does
start to come around. She tries to move forward and do
the right thing, like she has always done.
Judging from the trailers, The Last Jedi looks like a
more intense movie.
It’s definitely more intense. But there are little breaks of
air [between the intense moments]. But everyone seems
to be comparing this to The Empire Strikes Back. But
Empire was darker. I think we have a nice balance. There
are so many stories happening simultaneously that we
didn’t have before. But there were those brief moments
which unexpectedly [turned out to be] quite funny.
What was it like working with Mark Hamill and Adam
Driver?
It’s great. They’re both very different. Mark’s a talker
and Adam isn't. Mark has lived a crazy life. A lot of his
life has been influenced by Star Wars, and he’s so well
known for it. He’s older; he’s a father, so his energy is
steadier. Adam is incredible. He has this amazing depth
of emotion. I don’t know anyone else like him. He’s
amazing to work with. He’s very generous.
The Star Wars movies are known for their physical
sets.
The sets were absolutely amazing. So stunning that
you forgot that you were standing on a set. There was
a cave set which was just amazing. I don’t know how it
would feel if we didn’t have that.
You did more stunts in the sequel.
I did struggle with the action because physically
I had never pushed myself that hard. It was a
psychological challenge, of trying to make myself do
more and more. In The Force Awakens, because I was
allergic to the snow, I wasn’t able to do as much as
I wanted to. But now, because I’d been training hard,
I felt like I’d pushed through. The stunt team was
absolutely amazing. They were the first people I made
relationships with here. They’re my boys and girls.
How important is it playing a female hero?
I have never questioned what it’s like being a heroic
woman in a film, and that’s thanks to my upbringing.My mum’s always worked; the women I grew up
around always worked and were inspirational. Some
have family, some don’t. People just living their lives.
So it was weird when people reacted strongly [to
Rey] more than I did. It’s a great role but not just
because she’s a woman. That’s how simple it was
to me. But others treated this as a big deal, clearly.
But it’s exciting to be a part of that. And I’m like, let’s
continue [this trend of female heroes]. This is how it
should be.
After two movies, what does Star Wars mean to you?
It does sound like a cliché, but it means something
entirely different now than it was before. Now, I get to
be a part of this amazing thing — to represent this
cool person who is speaking to a lot of people, and
to work with really amazing people, on a set with
the most incredible crew ever. It’s wonderful. Really
wonderful.
What else can you tell us about The Last Jedi?
I think Rian has written a story that people won’t
expect. I think everybody gets their moment to
progress. And, even though it’s the second episode in
this series, it’s its own thing without just leading onto
the next one, which is great. Some of the stuff that
happens will surprise people.Training day: Rey (Daisy
Ridley) working hard to be
a Jedi under the watchful
eye of director Rian Johnson
(second from left) on the
Irish isle of Skellig Michael,
standing in for Ahch-To,
where the fabled first Jedi
temple is located.INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT: THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY