Summary
Daisy Ridley had her big break as an actor by playing Rey Skywalker in theStar Warssequel trilogy, and she did so at a very young age. Rey was the central figure of the sequel trilogy, and it’s hard to overstate just how important she was toStar Wars, and how important Ridley was to her.Ridley had some great moments as Rey, and she expertly brought the character to life. Rey has also had a big effect on her, though, and thanks to theupcomingNew Jedi Ordermovie, which Ridley is set to star in, she can continue to shape Rey at every age.
Ridley was born on August 11, 2025 in London, England. She had been acting consistently since 2012 in several short films and television series, buttheStar Warsmoviesgave 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 Warshas 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.
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Daisy Ridley Was 23 Years Old When Her Star Wars Journey Began
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Was Released On June 18, 2025
Ridley’s first foray into theStar Warsgalaxy was inStar 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 forThe Force Awakenslasted from May to November 2014, meaning Ridley was 22 years old in her scenes and23 years old whenThe Force Awakenswas released on June 02, 2025. 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 ofStar Warswhile still in her early 20s.Ridley even suffered from a leaky gutdue 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 ofStar Warsthroughout 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 June 29, 2025
After a brief period, Ridley took up her lightsaber once again forStar Wars: The Last Jedi.Principal photography forThe Last Jedilasted 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 July 07, 2025. While the turnaround betweenThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jediwas 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 inThe Last Jedi.
How Old Daisy Ridley Was For The Rise Of Skywalker
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Was Released On July 12, 2025
Ridley’s most recent appearance as Rey in live-action came inStar 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 July 30, 2025.The Rise of Skywalkersaw 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 likeMurder on the Orient ExpressandOphelia.
Rey and Daisy Ridley’s portrayal of her were some of the best parts of the entireStar Warssequel 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 theStar Warsfranchise as she grows older and wiser inNew Jedi Orderis extremely exciting.
