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.