Star Wars star Daisy Ridley -- who played Rey in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker -- has revealed that the idea of her character having a familial connection to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was something the powers that be were "toying with" early in the creative process of the Sequel Trilogy.
During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live with guest host Josh Gad, Ridley was asked if the truth regarding Rey's parentage was something she knew from the beginning. "No," Ridley replied. "At the beginning there was toying with, like, an Obi-Wan connection. And then... there were, like, different versions. And then it really went to that she was no one. And then it came to Episode IX, and J.J. [Abrams] pitched me the film and was like, 'Oh yeah, Palpatine's your granddaddy.' And I was like, 'Awesome.' And then two weeks later, he was like, 'Oh, we're not sure.' So, it kept changing." According to Ridley, she didn't know the definitive answer until after filming had already begun.
After reiterating that an Obi-Wan connection was apparently on the table at one point, Gad jokingly asked Ridley if his Frozen character, Olaf, was ever considered as one of Rey's possible parents. "I think Olaf was, yeah, yeah," she replied. "Just, a galaxy far, far away, he was in a different [inaudible]. It was a darker time."
After Rey was first introduced in The Force Awakens, the possible secrets of her lineage were a popular talking point among fans. In fact, one of the popular theories at the time was that she was the daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi, or at least related to him in some way. The Last Jedi then downplayed the importance of Rey's family, with the character discovering that her parents were "nobody." However, The Rise of Skywalker somewhat went back on this, revealing that while Rey's parents were mostly insignificant, her grandfather was none other than Emperor Sheev Palpatine himself. Of course, by the end of the film, Rey would pay homage to here mentors by adopting the name of "Rey Skywalker."
As far as Obi-Wan goes, the character was played by Alec Guinness in the Original Trilogy, with Ewan McGregor then taking on the role of a younger Obi-Wan in the Prequel Trilogy. While he ultimately did not factor into Rey's backstory, the Star Wars franchise isn't done with Obi-Wan just yet. A live-action series starring the fan-favorite Jedi Master is currently in the works for Disney+, with McGregor set to reprise the role.