Since her time fighting stormtroopers as Rey Skywalker came to a (temporary) end, Daisy Ridley has stayed about as far away from action roles as possible. She’s intead flexed her dramatic muscles again in films such as Young Woman and the Sea, The Marsh King’s Daughter, and Magpie based on a story of her own making. But now Ridley’s getting back in the fight with Cleaner, a film that finds her fighting terrorists from inside and outside of a skyscraper.
Cleaner pairs Ridley up with veteran Casino Royale and Goldeneye director Martin Campbell. The two worked so well together that they instantly set out on another action flick, Dedication, that opens in a few months. Perhaps this can be the begining of a long-lasting partnership?
Here’s the Cleaner synopsis: Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 storeys up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.
I had a chance to speak with Daisy Ridley about her time on Cleaner, and she talked about the honor of working with Campbell and what they have in common from a filmmaking standpoint. She also talked about the physicality of the role, and what it was like to shoot a movie that required being suspended so high off the ground.
Cleaner opens in theaters on February 21st. Check out the interview below, and please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel for more!
