Prior to landing the role of Rey in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," actress Daisy Ridley was admittedly not a huge fan of the "Star Wars" franchise.
Of course, things are different now for the newest addition to the "Star Wars" universe. Ridley said that portraying Rey has made a huge impact on her life, and she finally realized the enormity of her role when she joined the "Star Wars" Celebration convention this year.
"It's weird for me," she told Cinema Blend. "It didn't really have a huge impact on my life - obviously now it does. Being behind (the curtain) and hearing the screams for J.J. (Abrams) and Kathy (Kennedy), I was like, 'Oh my goodness." Stepping out on stage, this wave of love - this intense love. And that's the wonderful thing.
What amazed Ridley even more was the fact that each character has a huge fan base, even those who belong to the Dark Side of the Force.
"Even the baddies, people love them in a really pure way. And the people who love the goodies don't hate the people who love the baddies... it's just all this wonderful thing! And to be a part of that, the energy in that room. Amazing," she gushed.
Once the movie makes its debut on December 18, 2015, Ridley hopes that the love people have for the "Star Wars" franchise will continue to grow, since they did their best to continue the stories of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).
Not to mention, the seventh installment of the franchise introduced new characters such as Ridley's Rey, John Boyega's Finn, and a new villain named Kylo Ren, who is portrayed by "Girls" star Adam Driver.
"But kind of going forward, everyone has a story. It's crazy how much it's impacted people. So, again, I think that will grow, and hopefully with a new audience coming in for 'The Force Awakens,' hopefully it will continue to grow," she said.
When Ridley got the opportunity to talk to "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson earlier, she asked the UN Ambassadress for Gender Equality how she dealt with her sudden fame after portraying Hermione Granger.
"I asked her some stuff that I hadn't been able to ask (co-stars) Harrison (Ford) and Carrie (Fisher)," Ridley shared with the Daily Mail UK. "She said: 'Be yourself!' We were out in Covent Garden, and it was so chill - and she was so sweet!"
