MOVIE NEWS – “This is not just a role. For many, it’s a religion”: These were the words J.J. Abrams used to prepare Daisy Ridley for playing Rey.

Daisy Ridley’s career took off thanks to the lead role in Disney’s new Star Wars trilogy, where the British actress played the protagonist, Rey. This journey began about a decade ago, but Ridley still struggles to fully digest the sudden success and spotlight. Since then, the actress has tried her hand at other films with varying degrees of success but will soon return to the far-far-away galaxy to reprise her role as Rey (and it’s rumored, not just for one occasion).

Currently giving interviews for her latest movie, “Sometimes I Think About Dying”, Ridley has been speaking to various media, including a substantial interview with Inverse, where, among other things, the Star Wars universe was discussed. The 31-year-old actress recalled the advice J.J. Abrams gave her when she was cast as Rey, and it’s clear the director didn’t downplay the task:

“You have to grasp the whole scale! This is not just a role. For many, it’s a religion. It changes a person’s life on an incomprehensible level.” Useful advice that Ridley took to heart when she embarked on this journey, although by her own admission, she still couldn’t fully comprehend everything happening around her, and tried to convince herself that all was well.

“When this madness was happening, I kept telling myself, ‘I’m fine. I’m okay. I can handle this. Everything’s alright.’ And most of the time, I really was. But I think where I really struggled was understanding that what was normal for me was not at all normal for others.” It seems that over this past decade, Ridley has largely acclimated to the hype surrounding her role, and is no longer as troubled by it, which, as mentioned earlier, paves the way for her return to this world soon, this time under the direction of two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Source: Inverse