Summary

• Daisy Ridley began her Star Wars journey at a young age, growing alongside her character, Rey Skywalker.
• Ridley began portraying Rey when she was just 22 years old, and her most recent appearance was at age 27.
• Ridley's portrayal of Rey in the sequel trilogy was emotional and impactful, making her future return in New Jedi Order exciting.

Daisy Ridley had her big break as an actor by playing Rey Skywalker in the New Jedi Order movie, which Ridley is set to star in, she can continue to shape Rey at every age.

Ridley was born on April 10, 1992 in London, England. She had been acting consistently since 2012 in several short films and television series, but the Star Wars movies gave her a definitive breakthrough role. While she was acting in films and shows set outside of the galaxy far, far away throughout her time in the sequel trilogy, and she has starred in several major projects since her last appearance as Rey, Star Wars has been the biggest and most consistent part of Ridley's career. She took on the role at a very young age, and she grew alongside Rey through the years.

Daisy Ridley Was 23 Years Old When Her Star Wars Journey Began

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Was Released On December 18, 2015

Ridley's first foray into the Star Wars galaxy was in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In that film, audiences were first introduced to Rey, who began her time in the Skywalker saga as an orphaned junker on the desert planet of Jakku. Filming for The Force Awakens lasted from May to November 2014, meaning Ridley was 22 years old in her scenes and 23 years old when The Force Awakens was released on December 18, 2015. Rey was still very naive and inexperienced in that movie, which was a major part of her character arc, and Ridley's young age certainly helped her convey that.

Ridley's young age wasn't entirely a benefit, though. She has since spoken about how much pressure she felt from becoming the face of an entire trilogy of Star Wars while still in her early 20s. Ridley even suffered from a leaky gut due to stress and the massive jump in fame she experienced. Additionally, Ridley experienced undue hate from viewers who didn't want a woman to be the main figure of Star Wars throughout her time as Rey, which certainly didn't help with her stress. Luckily, Ridley learned to manage the stress of the role and the franchise before her next outing as Rey.

Daisy Ridley Was 25 Years Old When The Last Jedi Released

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Was Released On December 15, 2017

After a brief period, Ridley took up her lightsaber once again for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Principal photography for The Last Jedi lasted from February to July 2016, which meant that Ridley was 23 at the start of filming and 24 when it ended, and he was 25 years old when the movie was released on December 15, 2017. While the turnaround between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi was brief, there was clearly enough time for Ridley to learn to live in her role. Even though her journey was still underway, Ridley expertly showed how much Rey grew in The Last Jedi.

How Old Daisy Ridley Was For The Rise Of Skywalker

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Was Released On December 20, 2019

Ridley's most recent appearance as Rey in live-action came in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which also served as the end of the Skywalker saga. Filming lasted from August 2018 to February 2019, so Ridley was 26 when the movie was filmed and 27 when it was released on December 20, 2019. The Rise of Skywalker saw Rey truly come into her element and be worthy of the Skywalker legacy, but it also saw Ridley at her best. By the time filming began, Ridley was a much more experienced actor, having appeared in films like Murder on the Orient Express and Ophelia.

Rey and Daisy Ridley's portrayal of her were some of the best parts of the entire Star Wars sequel trilogy. Audiences got to follow her through epic highs and tragic lows, and Ridley was absolutely masterful in showing Rey's reaction to those moments. She was the emotional core of the sequel trilogy, and her acting skills made those pivotal moments truly impactful. The fact that Daisy Ridley has chosen to continue playing Rey in the Star Wars franchise as she grows older and wiser in New Jedi Order is extremely exciting.