Space invader DAISY'S RISE TO THE TOP

Since her star turn, the force is with her!

When Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hit cinemas last week, it marked the end of an era for English actress Daisy Ridley.

Plucked from obscurity five years ago to play the scrappy, scavenging heroine Rey, she became one of the world’s most famous actresses almost overnight.

Now 27, the third and final part of the sci-fi trilogy sees Daisy bid farewell to the franchise that made her a force to be reckoned with, and the actress is the first to admit that no matter how tough her lightsaber-wielding character is on the big screen, she was a mess once the cameras stopped rolling.

“The last day of filming felt like a blur,” shares Daisy. “The mic was being passed around and everybody said something. I can’t even remember what I said. Next thing I’m in a car being driven away with tears rolling down my face.”

It might be the end of a chapter for the British star, but after a fairytale start to her acting career, Hollywood insiders predict nothing but exciting new beginnings.

Growing up with a banker mother, photographer father and four older sisters, there was little to suggest that Daisy would become a world-famous movie star.

Describing herself as an introvert who presents as an extrovert, one of her first memories is of being three years old at party hosted by her parents in West London. “I ran in and shouted, ‘I’m shy!’ Quite loud. And then I ran out,” she laughs.