Daisy Ridley used therapy to deal with Hollywood pressure

Daisy Ridley headed to a therapist after the pressure of her Star Wars fame became too overwhelming.

The previously unknown English actress shot to fame after being cast as Rey in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, alongside franchise stalwarts Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and the late Carrie Fisher.

Within no time Daisy became a household name, but the 25-year-old Londoner found it hard to adjust to her new A-list status.

“Everything was so confusing,” she opened up to Vogue. “People were recognizing me—I still don’t know how to handle it. My skin got really bad because I was stressed. It was crippling. I just felt so seen and so self-conscious.

“(One time) I heard a knock on the door. These two guys went, ‘Hey, Daisy, can I get an autograph?’ and I literally went, ‘No f**king way.’ My mom said to me, ‘Everyone’s trying to take ownership of you.’

“I went and saw a lovely lady. I felt like I was sort of reducing myself because I was so worried that people would recognize me. You know what? I want to dance through life. I don’t want to scuttle.”

She adds that she still calls her mother once a month in hysterical tears, and tells her she’s not equipped to deal with the pressure.

But the actress knows how fortunate she is to have made it to the big time, explaining: “I’m very aware that there are thousands of other people who could do what I do much better, and it’s a matter of timing and luck. I’m counting my blessings that I get to be one of the people working.”

Daisy, who can next be seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December (17), also expressed how she hopes she can stay grounded as her Hollywood career grows.

“I worry that things start to seem normal that aren’t normal,” she sighed. “You get rushed through airports, and you never have to queue, and you get tickets to things that you wouldn’t otherwise. I think it’s important to remind yourself that it’s not normal. It’s difficult, though, because it is my normal.”