Daisy Ridley recalls 'grieving' after 'Rise of Skywalker': 'A lot that I hadn't processed'
A decade after the "Star Wars" franchise launched her career, Daisy Ridley is reflecting on how the life-changing role of Rey defined her 20s.
Ridley, who starred in the sequel trilogy, "The Force Awakens" (2015), "The Last Jedi" (2017) and "The Rise of Skywalker" (2019), recalled in an interview with Inverse published Jan. 25 that "When all of the craziness was going on, I was like, 'I'm good. I'm good. I'm coping fine. Everything's fine.' And I was fine, for the most part."
"But it was not normal to other people," she said, adding that she felt "quite this wrestle, of the reality and the fantasy that's often projected onto you," which made her feel isolated from her friends and family.
After "The Rise of Skywalker" came out in 2019 "and everything was quiet," Ridley finally slowed down enough to process everything that had happened since she was cast in 2014.
"I was grieving," she told the outlet.
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, Ridley found "having to sit and just be still in lockdown was incredibly helpful, in a way I hadn’t anticipated." She added, "I realized there was a lot that I hadn’t processed properly."
Daisy Ridley 'was becoming a ghost,' developed holes in her stomach wall due to stress
Ridley, who stars in the indie film "Sometimes I Think About Dying," has received her share of criticism from fans throughout her "Star Wars" career.
The fan and media scrutiny took a toll over the years, she revealed in her December 2019 cover story for British GQ.
"I saw a picture of me at the London premiere (for 'The Last Jedi') and I was so skinny and my skin was terrible," she told GQ. "I got tests done and it turned out my body was taking in no nutrients. I was just like a little skeleton and I was just so tired. I was becoming a ghost."
She'd developed holes in her gut wall due to stress, too, she said. Thankfully, she was able to take a six-month break finding normalcy at home in London before filming "The Rise of Skywalker." By the time she returned to set, "I was so healthy. I was so there. I was just enjoying it," she said. "With this one, I had such a great time."
What we know about Daisy Ridley's next 'Star Wars' movie
Last year, Lucasfilm announced there will be three new "Star Wars" movies at the Star Wars Celebration fan convention. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said she's spearheading a third film about a "new Jedi order" with a Jedi academy led by a "powerful Jedi master."
It was revealed that Ridley will play this leader, and the actor told the crowd how excited she was to be stepping into the role.
The film will be set after "The Rise of Skywalker," the last "Star Wars" movie. No release dates were given for the three films.
Contributing: Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY