Watch Daisy Ridley’s Powerful Star Wars: The Force Awakens Audition Tape

“What we were looking for was someone new, ” J.J. Abrams says in the incredible clip of Daisy Ridley's audition tape, which will be part of extras available when Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes to Digital HD on April 1st and the Blu-ray and DVD on April 5th. There will be loads of special features, including deleted scenes, a feature length documentary about the making of the film and the first table read with the cast. But back to Ridley's audition tape, Abrams said this; “This character needed to be vulnerable and tough, sweet and terrified. And to find someone that no one knew who could do all these things took a lot of looking.”

Obviously Ridley was all of these things and more. As impressed as you might have been by her stellar performance, you may find a new sense of appreciation for the young actress when you watch her audition tape. The scene she plays here was when Kylo Ren has captured her and is rooting around in her mind with his powers for Luke Skywalker's location. It's an intense, memorable scene—but imagine trying to act this out in a regular room, without the benefit of the masked Ren (Adam Driver) looming over you. Ridley crushed it, and the rest is history.

Check out the video on BuzzFeed here.

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be available on Digital HD April 1 and on Blu-ray April 5. 

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The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.