How Much Money Does Daisy Ridley Make?

Daisy Ridley was a complete unknown 23 year old actress who skyrocketed to instant fame and made $10 million for her role as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The star could earn as much as $15 million total based a percentage of the film’s ticket sales. Ridley currently has a net worth of $3.4 million.

Daisy Ridley got her start in screen acting in 2013. Until J. J. Abrams chose her for the major Star Wars role, she appeared mostly in TV series and shorts, playing mostly bit parts. Her earnings per role before Star Wars are estimated at $500 to $1,000 each.

See Ridley’s total earnings in the table below.

Daisy Ridley Earnings

Daisy Ridley has made $10 million for her Star Wars work. Before that, the star had earned a career total of $5,000 from acting.

J. J. Abrams chose Ridley in the same spirit as George Lucas’ casting decisions in the original Star Wars. Lucas chose unknown actors for the parts of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo.

Unlike co-star John Boyega, who starred in the cult hit Attack the Block, Ridley was a total unknown. Previously, the star earned $500 to $1,000 per appearance, playing mostly tiny parts and extras, with billings like, “stage hand.”

Ridley’s earnings by year are listed below.

The Force Awakens is Ridley’s first role in an American feature film. Watch her in-tears reaction to seeing the trailer for the first time (on her iPhone while lying in bed).

Also see: How Much Money Does John Boyega Make?

Daisy Ridley Net Worth

Daisy Ridley’s net worth is $3.4 million. The star earned $1,500 to $3,000 per year from acting roles in 2013 and 2014. Her sudden glut of $10 million in earnings in 2015 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens boosted her wealth exponentially.

Ridley doesn’t get to keep all the money though. A resident of London, she suddenly finds herself in a 56% tax bracket. That means Ridley will pay roughly $5.6 million in taxes this year. She’s also subject to an estimated $1 million in expenses for cost of living, agent fees and other payouts. That leaves her with $3.4 million after taxes and expenses.

Also see: How Much Money Has Every Star Wars Movie Made?

Daisy Ridley Star Wars Earnings

Daisy Ridley has earned an estimated $10 million for her work in Star Wars: The Force Awakens to date.

Ridley is a private citizen and doesn’t have to share the details of her Star Wars contract. However, calculating from the movie’s budget, other Disney and Star Wars films and pay for other actors, we can estimate her earnings. Reports indicate the star will also make some small percentage of box office money. The extra cash could add up to another $5 million.

That’s a Hoth beast sized jump from her previous earnings. Estimated Daisy Ridley earnings per role are listed below.

Also see: How Much Money Has Every Marvel Movie Made?

Daisy Ridley’s Future Earnings

From a string of bit parts, a star is born. Daisy Ridley will almost certainly make a lot more money going forward. Tellingly (and perhaps a spoiler alert) she is not signed on as a cast member for Star Wars, Episode VIII. Her co-star John Boyega is.

Chances are still at least decent that Ridley will be chosen for at least one and possibly two more Star Wars films. She also almost certainly has a deal with Disney for a percentage of the movie’s ticket sales. Couple that with probable upcoming product endorsements and Ridley is set to make a lot more money in the future.

There’s one other clue that points to a high net worth for Daisy Ridley in the future. Whatever else happens, she’s almost certain never to take another role as “stage hand” for $500 for the rest of her life. Once the genie’s out of the bottle it’s very hard to put it back.

How Daisy Ridley Reacted to Being Chosen

On a press tour for The Force Awakens, Ridley reportedly nearly had a panic attack her first day on the set. J. J. Abrams told her her performance was “wooden” and Ridley said she “wanted to die” and that she couldn’t breathe.

No wonder. The Star Wars film is not only Ridley’s first big blockbuster and her first American feature film, it’s her first full length film appearance ever. Ridley is reported to have cried the first time she watched the trailer.

The actress’ reaction to sudden stardom is money. Check out a grab from her Instagram account above. Below, see Ridley tell Jimmy Fallon how she felt when watching the big film’s first trailer.

Where Do We Get Our Numbers?

Our Daisy Ridley earnings figures are estimates based on earnings reports for other Disney actors like Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. We also back-figured from The Force Awakens’ sky-high $200 million dollar budget.

Dozens of other articles on the internet place Daisy Ridley’s earnings a lot lower, in the $200,000 range. While that’s an interesting thought, it doesn’t seem likely based on all the other data we cite above. Another reason to doubt a low-ball Ridley paycheck is the source cited by the other articles. Nearly every article online that mentions Ridley’s earnings gives the British tabloid The Daily Mail as its source. The Mail in turn cites “a Disney insider.

While the Mail isn’t incapable of finding a solid source, it’s important to remember that it is a tabloid.

Parting Shot: Ridley is Loving It

We may focus on Ridely’s net worth and earnings, but the star herself seems focused on anything but. The shot from her Instagram account on 12/26/15 below shows her enjoying Christmas and the sudden stardom.