Daisy Ridley spent the better part of a decade as the face of a galaxy far, far away.
Now she's betting on a very different kind of story.
The British actress, who became a household name as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has quietly assembled one of the more intriguing post-franchise slates of any young star in Hollywood.
Her latest project, the psychological thriller "Sometimes I Think About Dying," put her in a role that could not be further from lightsabers and desert planets.
Ridley plays Fran, a socially withdrawn office worker in a small Oregon town who drifts through her days imagining her own death before a tentative romance pulls her back toward the living.
The film premiered at Sundance to warm reviews, and critics singled out Ridley for carrying a quiet, interior performance that depends on glances and silences rather than dialogue.
That pivot matters because franchise leads often get trapped.
For every actor who escapes a blockbuster role, several spend years fielding the same typecast offers.
Ridley has been deliberate about choosing smaller, character-driven work, from the gritty indie "Magpie" to voice roles in animated features.
She has also opened up in interviews about the anxiety and scrutiny that came with global fame at 23, a candor that has resonated with fans who watched her grow up on screen.
While the Star Wars films lived in theaters, her recent output has found its audience largely on digital platforms, where smaller dramas can build word of mouth without a nine-figure marketing budget.
That shift is reshaping how stars of her generation think about career moves, and Ridley is a useful case study in how to stay visible without staying in one lane.
There's also the matter of what she hasn't done.
She has not rushed back into another mega-franchise, at least not yet, and she has not leaned on nostalgia bait to stay in the conversation.
That restraint has earned her a different kind of respect among film buffs who once dismissed her as a franchise prop.
Whether it translates into awards attention or simply a longer, stranger career remains to be seen.
For American viewers, the appeal is simple: here's a star they know from the biggest movie series of the century, taking real swings in intimate films you can stream from your couch.
It's the kind of reinvention arc audiences love to root for, and it comes with genuine risk attached.
If the indie bets pay off, Ridley could become a template for how young blockbuster actors survive the years after the credits roll.
Our take: Ridley is doing the hard, unglamorous work of building a career rather than coasting on a franchise.
That's rarer than it should be in Hollywood, and it's worth watching where she goes next.
Final Thoughts
Give her a few more years, and the "Star Wars girl" label may be the least interesting thing about her.