Over 40 years ago, in our Milky Way galaxy, the original Star Wars film pushed the boundaries of what movies can do, breathing a new life into the allure of space and changing the lives of its three lead actors for good. However, Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in later parts of Star Wars, believes something akin to the Force helped her land a role in the franchise.
Currently, every actor in the industry knows the value of being cast in a Star Wars film, regardless of whether they spent their earlier days playing with imaginary lightsabers or not. From the original trilogy to the contemporary films, Daisy Ridley has revealed how she landed her role in the franchise.
Daisy Ridley Had a Psychic Revelation Before Landing The Role
Before getting cast for the role of a Force-wielding protagonist, Daisy Ridley claims she felt a connection with something otherworldly. The actress said that while walking down the street with her friends, who she befriended on another set, one of them told her about the prospect of starring in a new Star Wars movie.
Ridley said on Happy Sad Confused podcast:
“I was walking down the street with … my friends, who I’d met on a shoot, and one of them went, ‘Apparently they’re doing a new Star Wars film.’ And literally, my whole body went tingly, and I was like, ‘I think I’m going to get a part in this film.’ I’m not even kidding. This was early in the year. My audition was in August. … But I literally, that day, I was like, I just think I’m going to get a part in this film.”
Despite her psychic intuitions, Ridley had to go through the process of five auditions with director J.J. Abrams before getting cast as Rey, starting with The Force Awakens. When Ridley got to know about her casting, she shared with Graham Norton that she was outside a London theater.
Ridley told Jimmy Kimmel:
“I finally got through … and he was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, you’re going to be in Star Wars.’ [I] then had to go back in to the second half [of the play] and not tell the guy I was with.”
Upon realizing she had received a voicemail from Abrams, she promptly attempted to reach out the director, who was based out of the US.
Daisy Ridley Almost Lost Her Star Wars Role
Similar to Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher was a relatively unfamiliar actress when she secured the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars. Coincidentally, Fisher’s daughter with talent agent Bryan Lourd, Billie Lourd, was among the first considered for the part of Rey initially.
Lourd told Ellen DeGeneres:
“J. J. Abrams called me to come in for Star Wars because he couldn’t find someone for the lead. I went in and he ended up giving me this tiny role with a couple lines and I was super excited. I didn’t know what was going to happen, ended up going and fell in love with it — was weirdly singing Jersey Boys on set, really comfortable.”
Unfortunately, after the release of The Force Awakens, Carrie Fisher passed away in December 2016.
