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Epilogue

the waves

( ... )

There is, then, a world immune
from change. But I am not
composed enough, standing on
tiptoe on the verge of fire, still
scorched by the hot breath, afraid
of the door opening and the leap of
the tiger, to make even one
sentence. What I say is perpetually
contradicted. Each time the door
opens I am interrupted. I am not yet
twenty-one. I am to be broken. I am
to be derided all my life. I am to be
cast up and down among these
men and women, with their
twitching faces, with their lying
tongues, like a cork on a rough sea.
Like a ribbon of weed I am flung far
every time the door opens. I am the
foam that sweeps and fills the
uttermost rims of the rocks with
whiteness; I am also a girl, here in this room.

Virginia Woolf,
1882 - 1941

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Daisy Ridley is an british actress and film director, born on April 10th, 1992, in the borough of Westminster, London. She is the third child of Christopher Ridley, a photographer, and Louise Fawkner-Corbett, a retired banker. She grew up in a small house in Maida Vale, surrounded by a loving and supportive family. Her great-uncle, Arnold Ridley; best known as the author of the play The Ghost Train and for his role in the British sitcom Dad's Army was the last artistic branch in the family before Daisy's birth.To pursue her passion, she left a conventional schooling schedule to attend Tring Park School for Performing Arts in Hertfordshire, where she trained in musical theater for ten years while completing high school. Her scholarship began after her mother sent in a video of her performing "Grizabella" from the musical Cats. Although her dream was always to become a singer and songwriter - spending most of her formative years focusing on her voice, which led to a mezzo-soprano range; Everything changed after a teacher guided her toward acting, noting her highly expressive face and natural taste for drama. From then on, her focus shifted toward developing her acting abilities. Daisy was also trained in various dance styles, including jazz, tap, ballet, and Latin American, before graduating in 2010.After school, Daisy attended Birkbeck, University of London, to study Classical Civilization. She balanced a double duty working as a waitress and bartender in English pubs to help her family with bills, but she ultimately dropped out after two years to focus entirely on acting. Her first gigs consisted of commercials and small roles on British television, none of which stood out. She constantly reworked her schedule to fit in more auditions; though many yielded great feedback, it was never quite enough to land the job. That was until a massive opportunity came along one that would change her life forever.It was announced that Daisy had been cast as the main protagonist and heroine, Rey, in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first film in the franchise's new trilogy. This life-changing role came about in early February, and she kept it a secret for almost three months before filming began. She had never worked on or even fantasized about something so massive. Beyond being a huge breakthrough for her career, the film was a major box-office hit, the highest-grossing film of the year, and earned critical acclaim for her debut major performance. It also became the fastest film to reach $1 billion at the box office. Daisy reprised her role as Rey two more times, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, marking the end of her journey with the saga for now.

Later on, she took the lead in book-inspired roles and classic dramatic tales, such as Ophelia and Murder on the Orient Express. These roles began to showcase her range, leading two completely different genres within a span of six months.The pandemic brought a new spark to her creativity, channeling her skills into writing and developing her own projects based on the human mind and its reactions to trauma.

The idea for Sometimes I Think About Dying stemmed from some difficult life experiences. Ridley has noted that "life inspires her proudest work." Opening up about her struggles with anxiety and social panic wasn't easy, but it felt necessary during a time of such isolation. The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival to massive acclaim for its delicate approach to such a sensitive topic; her writing was described as a deeply moving work of art.The same success followed with Magpie, which explores a troubled marriage within the cinematic industry. The story was largely inspired by the trapped rage present in many relationships, not just romantic ones. Her script was praised for its lack of sugar-coating on feelings that most people share at some point in life, creating a story that anyone could relate to, both inside and outside the industry. She wrote and developed both films almost simultaneously, making them the most personal projects of her career.Building on her success as a storytelling force behind the camera, Daisy made her long-awaited feature film directorial debut with Materialists. Stepping into the director's chair allowed her to construct visual metaphors for emotional detachment, framing intimate human encounters against rigid, consumer-driven spaces. Her narrative approach showcased a noticeable evolution in her writing, combining subtle dark comedy with an unvarnished examination of human compromise. Critics praised her directorial vision for refusing to fall back on comfortable genre tropes, opting instead to present nuanced characters whose vulnerabilities felt entirely believable. By anchoring the plot around complex relationship dynamics, Daisy proved that her talent behind the camera was not just an extension of her acting career, but a distinct artistic discipline defined by patience, wit, and emotional precision.Her follow-up effort, The Drama, further solidified her standing as an auteur capable of steering heavy psychological narratives. The writing in The Drama was singled out for its maturity and emotional restraint, as Ridley resisted obvious dramatic explosions in favor of a slow-burning psychological study. Her script examined how past wounds and self-deception can quietly erode the foundation of a commitment long before the final breaking point occurs. Premiering at major film festivals, the project established her distinct voice in independent cinema, drawing comparisons to classic minimalist dramas while establishing a signature style that felt undeniably her own.Daisy Ridley completed a transformative transition from blockbuster icon to celebrated cinematic author. Her trajectory as a writer-director reflects a deep dedication to human-centric stories that interrogate trauma, connection, and self-identity. By maintaining complete creative control over her screenplays and visual aesthetics, she carved out a unique space in modern cinema, proving that her artistic ambition extends far beyond performing in front of the camera to crafting the very stories that shape it.

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Full name: Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley Smith. Stage Name: Daisy Ridley. Date of Birth: April 10, 1992. Age: Thirty-four (34) years old. Place of Birth: Westminster, London. Residence: London, United Kingdom / New York, NY. Nationality: British, Irish and American roots. Gender: Female Occupation: Actress and filmmaker. Languages: English (native), French (intermediate).Skin tone: White, with small freckles and moles. Height: 1,70cm / 5' 7". Weight: 55kg / 121lb. Body Measurements: 32-23-33 Hair color: Dark brown. Eye color: Hazel. Orientation: Queer. Pronouns: She/Her Martial Status: Unavaliable. MBTI: ESFJ. Eneagram: 7w6 Star Sign: Aries. Chinese Zodiac Sign: Monkey (猴). Tattoos: Three; A crystal inspired star by the ribs, an upward facing triangle on her right hip and a small bat on the left arm.Piercings: Three on each lobe and pierced nipples. Recognizable features: Slim but curvy body, long and bold legs due to training and a healthy diet. Big, deep hazelish green eyes and cute freckles stamping her nose and cheeks. Fashion Brand Deals: Miu Miu & Prada. Production Deals: A24, Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm.

Likes: Spring, Taking care of animals, Baking, Wuthering Heights by Charli xcx, Dolls of any kind, Chocolate ice cream, The sun, Michael Jackson music videos, Her vinyl collection, Sweet popcorn, Lego sets, Videogames.

Dislikes: Laziness, Bad sugar talking, Paparazzo, Lack of privacy, Nosy people, The Star Wars prequels, Shitalking over nothing, Cheetos, Forced proximity, Searching herself online, Missing loved ones, Zack Snyder himself.

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2010-2013 / Background Steps: She played a few small productions while at college, including school versions of The Boyfriend and Dominoes. She became gaining small roles in television programmes right after, such as Toast of London and Mr Selfridge. Also participated in an interactive film Lifesaver, which was nominated for a BAFTA Award, even though she only found out last year. Her actual film debut should be in the english comedy The Inbetweeners 2, but her scenes were cut out and never reshoot due to Star Wars schedules.

2014-2015 / Star Wars Breakthrough: According to Rolling Stone magazine, she was a "total unknown" before Rey. J.J. Abrams tried to recreate the George Lucas way of casting briefly known faces to lead the franchise. Ridley has always been a Star Wars fan, but not as enthusiastic as others, which made her panic by auditioning. She remembers seeing "at least five to eight Han Solo t-shirts" on her way to presencial auditions. She firmly believed that not being that much of an fan back in the time, helped herself cool down and deliver an amazing performance, surprising Abrams himself. With international revenues of over $2 billion, The Force Awakens was a major box-office hit and the highest-grossing film of 2015. Her performance received critical acclaim, describing her portrayal as "a breakout performance", adding "Harrison Ford has a terrific father figure chemistry with Ridley."

2016-2017 / Future Blossoms: After the boom, she was one of the several actors featured on Barbara Streisand's Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway, along with Anne Hathaway in a track titled "Into the Ballet", from A Chrous Line. She also played Mary Debenham in the remake of Murder on the Orient Express, an Agatha Christie classic and voiced Taeko Okajima in the english version of the first Studio Ghibli film, Only Yesterday. Star Wars: The Last Jedi was also released, playing opposite Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker.

2018-2019 / The Saga Ends... for Now: She portrayed Ophelia in an reimagination of Hamlet, focused on Ophelia herself. The project filmed in 2017, marking it's debut at the 2018 Sundance film festival. December 2019 marked her end as Rey for the time. She initially said she wouldn't reprise the role after The Rise of Skywalker, as stressing as the shooting went. But later, interest was shown after mixed reviews. She says: "Never say never. I'm always open to a revisit. But also the beautiful thing is it's this wonderful, huge universe with all of these stories that have yet to be told. I think there's a lot of cool things to be made before any potential revisit."

2022-2024 / Festival Spotlight: Daisy's career reached a new peak after the pandemic. The global shock made her reach personal growth, letting herself study and practice filmmaking at home. During that time, she wrote many diferente poems and short stories, which pitched into three films later. Sometimes I Think About Dying and Magpie are almost two sides of the same writer. Two sides of a person seeking for help and maybe love, self love. The idea was all built from scratch from her own economies, later on managing to open her production company, Werewolf Pictures. Festivals over america loved the films, debuting on Sundance and South by Southwest with reviews praising her performances and pen.She got busy with Gertrude Ederle's biographical film Young Woman And The Sea, being both produced and starred by Ridley. She learned how to swim and trained professionally for a year and a half after taking the challenge, filming all in-water scenes without stunt doubles. The film was highly praised, gaining Academy Award & BAFTA shortlisted. After press, her whole focus went to developing what would become Materialists; Her first feature film, which was saverly praised by critics and viewers. Later that year, she was invited to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, due to her spotlight on british media.

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