Daisy Ridley becomes galaxy superstar with 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

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Friday, December 18, 2015
Daisy Ridley becomes galaxy superstar with 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
Daisy Ridley is ready to feel the force of fame as a central character in the new 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens.'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Actress Daisy Ridley's resume doesn't take long to read. The 23-year-old newcomer earned her big break with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

"Of course it excites me," said Ridley. "I'm a young woman who wants to do great things with my career. And, obviously, I'm starting off in quite a good place."

In the latest "Star Wars" installment, Ridley plays Rey, a scavenger and a pilot who figures prominently into all the action. And she has director J.J. Abrams to thank for her burgeoning career.

"Honestly, I don't know what he saw in me," confessed Ridley. "Whatever it is ... I'm incredibly thankful to him for seeing it. It's incredible working with someone who just sees the potential, and I guess that's what a great storyteller is. You see potential in something and from that, you create something. It's like having the seeds and seeing the tree. And I think he brought out a performance in me I never imagined I could give."

Now that we are meeting Daisy, what would she like us to know about her?

"I hope people find out I'm talented and that I'm hard-working," said Ridley.

She will say that there's one thing she knows for sure people will get out of seeing "The Force Awakens."

"Joy. Joy of the whole thing. Whether it's the baddies or the goodies or explosions or creatures, joy. The film is a joy," she said.

Ridley says the reach that "Star Wars" has around the world is quite amazing. And she's proud, if a bit bewildered, to be a part of it.

"I guess it feels like family," said Ridley. "It feels like home now."

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