It may seem odd for a major player in the Star Wars franchise to shy away from cameras, but Daisy Ridley has decided to opt out of the social media craze when she can. However, the star of the latest installment, The Rise of Skywalker, explains that her decision to not take selfies with fans is more about her own personal safety than an aversion to making fans happy.
Ridley offered her reasons to the British website The Times, explaining, "I'm not a big photo taker, and I don't want everyone to immediately know where I am. I know people share [their selfies] immediately, so I'm very aware of privacy in that way." She is willing to make some exceptions, however, and is happy to take photos with her young fans. " With kids, they’re not going to put it up somewhere straightaway."
In addition to the safety element of the fan photos, Ridley is also acutely aware of the scrutiny her (relatively) new fame brings, recounting a time when she opted out of attending a Cirque de Soleil show. "I was like, even though people aren't going to look at me, if anyone does, I'm not in the right frame of mind to deal with that," she said. "So I didn't go. It's a shame, but sometimes you have to listen to what your body is telling you."
Ridley long ago discontinued her own social media presence, citing inspiration from Selena Gomez, who called it "dangerous." Though she admits it has its upsides, ultimately she decided it's not for her.
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives Dec. 20.
via ABC News