A little Rey of sunshine
You said you didn’t like your performance in The Force
Awakens — how do you feel about The Last Jedi?
I feel exactly the same way. It’s just difficult watching yourself and I don’t think it will ever get easier. I have had a bit more practice at it now — [Murder on the] Orient Express just came out a little while ago — but it’s still weird.
Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy said she thought it was a more mature and confident Daisy Ridley who reported for duty on The Last
Jedi. Was that the case?
Absolutely not — and I am very surprised she said that because I felt like a quivering wreck. It’s very kind of her but, t no, I didn’t feel like that at all. I feel more like that now, not confident exactly, but more aware of what’s going on and what’s required of you. But it was terrifying.
Mark Hamill said he was surprised and shocked by where Rian Johnson took The Last
Jedi. How did you feel when you got the script?
I was also very surprised. To be honest I cried a lot because I was very nervous about not being with John [Boyega]. John kept me going through everything and was my constant support as a friend as well as working together every day. It’s an unexpected story, so there was a lot to talk about. So I felt nervous, but Rian explained everything and I thought “Oh, OK”.
Did Mark have any advice for you for dealing with the Star Wars phenomenon in the long term?
He never really pushed any advice on us, he just let us do our own thing and then was just wonderful and supportive and very, very kind and that’s really all you need in those situations. All you really want is some guidance and support — and he’s also just a great person to work with.
How has Star Wars changed your life, and have you had to make peace with the place it’s given you in modern pop culture?
I’m definitely busier — that’s really the main thing. I don’t know that I really need to make peace with anything — a lot of it is overwhelming some of the time. But when you are working you are working, and when I am at home I am at home with my family and friends. Occasionally I will go to a restaurant and I will go “Oh my gosh” and it’s a lot. But all the energy that is directed towards it is so positive and underneath it all is just a group of people who have been brought together by something that is very inclusive and isn’t divisive.
It hasn’t all been positive, though. You opted out of social media. Why?
People weren’t very nice. Everyone talks about how I left because of a bloody gun post — I didn’t leave because of the gun post, although I will never, ever be supportive of guns, but people got the wrong end of that stick. But ultimately people weren’t very nice. It was only a couple of people and everyone else was wonderful, but I thought, what is this worth? Is this worth me feeling terrible for a day? And it’s just not. A lot of communication is just being obscured and I’m very happy to not be there any more.
My three daughters are all huge fans of Rey. Do you feel like you have become a role model for young girls in particular?
I don’t feel that. I think it’s wonderful that people respond to the character, but I am not that character, unfortunately for me. She’s a much better person than I am. I definitely feel the love that people have for her and I definitely feel the appreciation that people have for a character like that, but I can’t take credit for that. But I am very thrilled to play her.
Did you get to visit Australia when you were doing your voice work for Peter Rabbit with Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki?
It’s just me and all the Aussies now. I used to live in Australia, so I feel like I am representing. I haven’t been because of that, I have been because of my sister and because I went travelling there when I was 19. So I have set foot on your wonderful terrain, but not because of
Peter Rabbit — I did all of that in LA [Los Angeles] and London.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (M) is now showing at the State Cinema and Village Cinemas.
The Mercury’s regular movie reviewer Tim Martain is taking a well-earned break this week.