Daisy Ridley has opened up about her health and revealed she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease in 2023.
The actress, known for playing Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, discussed her experience with the autoimmune disorder in an interview with Women’s Health, and explained she first experienced symptoms while filming the psychological thriller Magpie but initially attributed it to the effects of making the film. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably, that’s why I feel poorly,'” she recalled.
Ridley decided to speak to an endocrinologist and outline her symptoms, which included a racing heart rate, weight loss, fatigue, and hand tremors. The doctor said Graves’ is often referred to as a feeling of being “tired and wired,” which Ridley recognized in herself as she was going through the early stages of the disease.
“It was funny, I was like, ‘Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,'” Ridley said. “But turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out.”
Ridley, who follows a vegan diet, said she was “health conscious” before the diagnosis, but now she is being “more well-being conscious” by integrating treatments into her self-care routines, such as infrared saunas, cryotherapy, massages, and acupuncture, as well as holistic rituals and exercise regimes.
She also tried to eliminate gluten from her diet, though she admits to not being “super strict about it;” it’s just one of the changes that she found generally makes her “feel better.”
“I didn’t realize how bad I felt before,” she said, reflecting on her journey and the lifestyle changes she has implemented. “Then I looked back and thought, ‘How did I do that?'”
Image Credit: Kate Green/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.