Daisy Ridley Says Her 'Privilege' Is No Different From John Boyega's
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker actress Daisy Ridley has attracted criticism following a recent interview with The Guardian.
Ridley, who plays scavenger-turned-Jedi apprentice Rey in the franchise, made comments in response to a question about privilege.
When talking about her private eduction, Daisy replied by suggesting that she is no more privileged than her Star Wars co-star John Boyega, which has been met with heavy criticism on social media.
Ridley was asked if her background–including private boarding school and relatives who are established in the industry–has helped her to navigate the world of celebrity easier than her peers.
The star replied: "The privilege I have–how? No, genuinely, how?"
When reporter Nosheen Iqbal explained she meant in terms of class and wealth and wasn't criticizing her, Ridley went on to suggest that her experiences weren't too dissimilar to those of her co-star John Boyega.
Boyega, who plays Finn in the franchise, was raised in south London by British-Nigerian immigrant parents and applied for a hardship fund to join Theatre Peckham.
"Well no, because, no… John grew up on a council estate in Peckham and I think me and him are similar enough that… no," the actress continued.
Over on Twitter, people aren't impressed at all by her statements and took the opportunity to share their disappointment.
Just be warned, there's some strong language ahead:
disappointed but not suprised by daisy ridley, these are the results you get when you create a context in which upper-middle class get to succeed & the privilege is especially apparent in the UKs performance industry https://t.co/6ckooz87x8
— CEO of Keanu Reeves (@existingfornow) December 8, 2019
disappointed in daisy ridley but hoping she could learn from her ignorance
— c.🎄 (@maulsrobolegs) December 7, 2019
one of the most appalling things abt this daisy ridley interview is that in her 4yrs of headlining one of the biggest franchises on earth, this is, so painfully evidently, the very first time anyone has truly invited her to critically confront & examine her own privilege.
— ham yoyo 🚀💫 (@scifibis) December 7, 2019
Daisy Ridley refusing to accept that she’s privileged because she had private education and her dads an OBE....is not it chief. Just say yes and go
— Jade VOTE LABOUR DEC 12TH🌹 (@lambbhuuuna) December 8, 2019
Seriously fuck this interview. How do we live in a world where Daisy Ridley doesn’t recognise her privilege and life experience is different to JOHN BOYEGA 😡 pic.twitter.com/EZmRFvF7L1
— Samuel Morgan-Grahame 🌹 Vote Labour (@SMorganGrahame) December 7, 2019
Daisy Ridley really seems to think that she - a white woman born into immense privilege, a well-connected family in the entertainment biz - is “about the same”, life experience/hardship wise, as John Boyega - dark-skinned black man w/ Nigerian parents who grew up in Peckham. I - pic.twitter.com/3QGqpIbaOx
— Patrick Swayne (@pswayne7) December 7, 2019
Yeah, Daisy Ridley messed up here. The middle of her Guardian interview is actually painful. pic.twitter.com/POuW1slYDU
— Nola Thee Journalist (@NolaMarianna) December 7, 2019
this is one of the most appalling out of touch things iv ever read
she argues that it was a “large chatty family” that gave her the confidence to be an actor and not 9 years at a specialist Performing Arts boarding schoolhttps://t.co/UKnwtqTQEs— callum berridge (@callum_berridge) December 7, 2019
Some Twitter users did defend Ridley, with one writing: "Like any other human being, she isn't perfect and she too can make mistakes and learn from them. Yes she is ignorant but for that she needs to be educated properly and not cancelled."
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