Does Daisy Ridley’s New Interview Hint At Rey’s ‘Star Wars’ Return?
By Kristin Myers on October 17, 2021 at 4:00 AM EDT
Although actress Daisy Ridley, 29, has gone on to star in “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Chaos Walking,” she will forever be known as Rey from the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy.
Entering the cast as a relative unknown, Ridley quickly became a household name and is looking forward to trying her hand at a different kind of acting.
Still, the Westminster-born star can’t seem to separate herself from her character in a galaxy far, far away. When doing an interview about her participation in the thriller “Zoetrope,” Ridley couldn’t help but answer questions about whether or not she will ever reprise her role as Rey in a future installment.
Dropping Hints
In a new interview, Ridley revealed that she was absolutely distraught after filming wrapped for the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy.
“I spent a lot of time crying,” Ridley admitted. “I really felt like I was grieving something. They were my people for so many years! John [Boyega] and I met when we were both twenty-one, we were so young. We started this thing together in our early twenties and now I’m twenty-nine. But we all keep in touch, even though John is the busiest man in the world. I went for breakfast with Kathy Kennedy the other day which was so nice. Jodie [Comer] and I text all the time. It was such a wonderful experience.”
Kathleen Kennedy, 68, is the current President of Lucasfilm. It remains to be seen if her breakfast with Kennedy was just a friendly outing, or a hint that the franchise would like to revisit Rey’s story and see her picking up where Jedi Master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) left off, and rebuild his Jedi Academy.
Ridley herself has remained non-committal over the years, sometimes hinting that she would love to pick up her lightsaber again, while other times hinting that Rey’s journey is done.
Her most recent comment came in an interview with “Frozen” voice actor Josh Gad in 2020, who was filling in for host Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” When asked if she would return as Rey in ten years or so, Ridley played coy, saying, “I mean, the world is a crazy place right now. 10 years seems an awfully long way away. I say never say never, but to me ‘Rise of Skywalker’ was tied up with a bow.”
Who Is Jodie Comer?
Jodie Comer, 28, played Rey’s mother in a flashback in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”
Only a year younger than Ridley herself, Comer and Ridley did not share any scenes together, as she appeared in a flashback sequence with the child stars who played Rey as a child. Both Josefine Irrera Jackson and Cailey Fleming are credited as playing young Rey. Billy Howle, who appeared in “Dunkirk,” and the TV series, “The Beast Must Die,” is credited as playing Rey’s father.
Comer is best known for her work in “Killing Eve.” She won an Emmy and a BAFTA for her role as Oksana Astankova / Villanelle in the critically acclaimed show. However, she has recently headed back to the big screen and appears opposite Ryan Reynolds in the action-comedy “Free Guy.”
She also stars in “The Last Duel,” which features Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and “Star Wars” co-star Adam Driver, who played Rey’s nemesis, Kylo Ren / Ben Solo, in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy.
“The Last Duel” hit theatres yesterday, October 15, 2021.