Daisy Ridley, 33, says she gravitates toward film ⁢roles that offer emotional catharsis,⁣ a quality she finds particularly appealing in her latest⁤ project, We Bury the Dead, released in theaters on Friday, December 27, 2025. Ridley plays ‌Ava, a character who volunteers⁤ to ‌assist‍ in the cleanup of a military⁢ incident on an Australian ​island,​ a location meaningful as the place her husband was visiting.

In a recent Zoom interview with United Press⁤ International (UPI), ridley ⁢explained her attraction to films that evoke strong emotional responses. ​ “I do love being able ‍to watch something and have a ​really, really good cry,” she ​said. “There’s a‍ marvelous thing of experiencing something in​ a movie, leaving and looking around going, ‌’Oh look, we’re​ all here. We’re all still here.'” UPI reported Ridley also physically prepared for​ demanding roles,including ⁢studying Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)‌ for fight scenes ​in the film Cleaner.

Physical Preparation for Demanding Roles

Ridley’s commitment to her roles extends beyond emotional depth. She​ previously undertook ​intensive‌ physical training for action-oriented parts. UPI noted that she ⁣studied MMA⁤ to convincingly‌ portray fight ‌scenes ⁢in Cleaner. She ‍also mentioned feeling physically exhausted after filming We Bury the Dead, specifically recalling the exertion of a scene involving walking uphill to a significant​ location.

“Walking up that hill towards the place where her husband is, I⁢ was pretty exhausted,” Ridley‍ stated.

This‍ dedication to physical ⁢realism highlights Ridley’s approach​ to fully embodying her characters, ensuring both emotional‌ and physical authenticity in her performances.