Yahoo Movies 'Star Wars' actor Daisy Ridley faces backlash over comments on privilege
Daisy Ridley has received criticism for comments she made about the role of privilege in her life.
In an interview with The Guardian Ridley, who attended boarding school, denied that her upbringing had instilled her with confidence and made navigating her celebrity status any easier. The reporter asked if she’d found it “easier to be confident and navigate her celebrity because of the privilege in her life”.
The 27-year-old, who was brought up in Maida Vale, said: "The privilege I have - how? No, genuinely, how?"
The Star Wars actor insisted her experiences were not too different from her co-star John Boyega, who grew up in Peckham as the son of Nigerian immigrant parents.
"I think me and him are similar enough that… no," she went on.
Ridley clarified she went to a performing arts boarding school, which she described as "different". The newspaper reports that the actor's publicist also said she went to the school on a scholarship.
However, her comments were met with backlash as they were discussed on social media.
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One Twitter user wrote: “Really can’t believe that Daisy Ridley had the audacity and nerve to compare her privately educated, rich, privileged life as a member of a family who’s part of the establishment as similar to Boyega’s experiences as someone who grew up in a deprived area to immigrant parents.”
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
growing up privileged isn’t one’s fault but choosing not to acknowledge it is and daisy ridley shows it perfectly
— martina (@teethforamma) December 7, 2019
In the interview, Ridley claimed her confidence could be put down to coming from a "large, chatty family".
She isn't the first member of her family to step into show business as her great-uncle Arnold Ridley OBE was an actor, playing Private Godfrey in Dad's Army.
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Meanwhile, her grandfather, John Ridley OBE was head of engineering at the BBC from 1950 to 1965.
Boyega, who plays Finn in the space opera, has previously spoken about having to apply for a hardship fund to join Theatre Peckham as a youngster as he pursued his interest in acting.
