Boyega And Ridley Gush On The FORCE AWAKENS Filmmaking

The Hollywood Reporter caught up with the young stars of The Force Awakens, John Boyega and Daisy Ridley to discuss the joys and pressures of making a new installment in one of the world's most beloved film franchises. In terms of opportunity, upon receiving the offer from J.J. Abrams, were initial thoughts of Harrison Ford and his career trajectory orwere there fearful musings about Hayden Christensen and his failure to launch? Said Boyega, "I am all about opportunity. I'm all about story. When J.J. signed on as director I was very much interested to come and read for him. It was just a matter of whether or not I could do the job, and apparently I could. For me, it's just all about making sure that this is a really cool film. That [Finn] the best character I can make him. In terms of it being a failure for some actors and all that stuff, it's been a long time since the last Star Wars movie came out. I haven't been scared with the risks and all that stuff. As an actor I wanted to do a great, great piece. As a fan as well."

Speaking on the differences between herself and the character of Rey, Ridley stated, "The main difference is that she didn't have a family and I have a family that I'm close to. Otherwise I'd say the way we deal with things is similar. She faces a lot of challenges throughout the film, and the way she reacts to things I think is kind of the way anyone would. That's why I think she's so universal and brilliant: She's frightened but she faces up to what she needs to. And she's brave and smart, and you see an entire emotional spectrum of her throughout the film. She's not a superhero. She's a normal girl thrust into extraordinary circumstances, so it's very relatable. It's an emotional story about a girl on a journey, but the story is a lot more than that."