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Playing Rey Skywalker in Star Wars had consequences for Daisy Ridley. She revealed that the newfound fame resulted in her getting ulcers.
Speaking to The Times, Ridley recalled the shock Star Wars had on her. Suddenly, she was more popular than ever and was doing more press than ever. The stress resulted in a “leaky gut,” or ulcers, as Ridley put it.
“Essentially, it was a leaky gut. I was just knackered,” she explained. “I’d never traveled that much, or done press junkets, and my body deals with stress in a very physical way, so my gut was manifesting an emotional reaction to traveling around the world, people saying hello to me in the street.
“And me going, ‘What’s going on?' And worrying. ‘Oh s**t, should it be me?' or ‘Am I good enough?' And I only really felt I was by the third film, The Rise of Skywalker. By then, I felt, ‘OK, I was chosen for a reason.' But it took a long time. It was super intense,” she continued.
Over a half-decade after her last Star Wars adventure, The Rise of Skywalker. She didn't seem likely to return to the series anytime soon but she will star in a new film from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
The film came as a surprise announcement at the 2023 Star Wars Celebration. Ridley appeared on stage as her untitled Rey Skywalker film was announced.
Hopefully, this time around, Ridley doesn't experience the same health complications or ulcers.
Who is Daisy Ridley?
Daisy Ridley gained notoriety for her role as Rey Skywalker in the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy. The role helped her land other blockbuster roles.
All three of the Ridley-led Star Wars films were massive hits. The first film in the series, The Force Awakens, is one of the highest-grossing films ever. It made over $2 billion worldwide.
The sequel, The Last Jedi, made over $1.3 billion a couple of years later. Rise of Skywalker, the trilogy-closer, barely crossed the $1 billion mark. It was similar to the Jurassic World trilogy which had all three installments grossed over $1 billion at the box office despite diminishing returns with each installment.
In addition to her live-action appearances as Rey, Ridley has voiced the role in Star Wars Forces of Destiny. Archival footage of Ridley is also used in Galaxy of Adventures.
Her non-Star Wars roles include Murder on the Orient Express, Peter Rabbit, and Chaos Walking. 2023 was filled with indie films such as Sometimes I Think About Dying, The Inventor, and The Marsh King's Daughter. She began 2024 with a Sundance film, Magpie.
Coming up, Ridley will star in the Gertrude Ederle biopic from Disney, Young Woman and the Sea. The film was originally intended for a Disney+ release but will now receive a theatrical release on May 31.
