Daisy Ridley Was Not The Original Rey in Star Wars- Jennifer Lawrence and 4 Other Actresses Nearly Derailed Her Career in $10B Franchise

Daisy Ridley has gone from rags to riches with her internationally recognized role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Given the stardom and influence she gained in Hollywood after its release, it is a sure fact that the popular franchise still has a prominent fanbase with many stars still wanting to get associated with it.

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Given that Ridley shined after becoming a Jedi however, she was not the only actor considered for the role. In the first part of the sequel trilogy director,  J. J. Abrams had a few actresses in mind before eventually choosing the former for the role.

Other Actresses Who Got Considered for Daisy Ridley’s Rey Role

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Daisy Ridley won international hearts with his portrayal of Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. However, she was not the only one considered for the role. Director J. J. Abrams had eyes on five other actresses for the role before ultimately casting Ridley for the role.

Jessica Henwick had to audition for six months for the role. After much consideration, Abrams felt that she would be more suited for Jess Pava’s role which she ultimately played in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

Even Hunger Games star, Jennifer Lawrence was also a candidate for the popular role. Despite being on the shortlist, the director chose not to take her audition since he wanted a new face for the role.

Shailene Woodley also auditioned for the part when she was starring in the ABC Family drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Even Little Women star, Saoirse Ronan was considered for the role and was quite disheartened when she did not bag the part.

J. J. Abrams Highly Considered Elizabeth Olsen for Rey Role

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Elizabeth Olsen who starred as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in Marvel Cinematic Universe was being highly considered for the part in the Star Wars franchise. Abrams wanted her to audition for the part but she was already associated with Marvel Studios working in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The filming schedules were quite conflicting at times which made it almost impossible for the WandaVision star to manage the two franchises together.

Ultimately, Ridley held the lightsaber by debuting in 2015’s The Force Awakens with new faces including John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver. She was seen reprising her role in 2017’s Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker.

She will return to the franchise leading a new film that will take place after the events of the 2019 film.

The Star Wars sequel trilogy is streaming on Disney+.

Source: Cheatsheet