Daisy Ridley Accepts Breakout Star Teen Choice Award

During last night’s 2016 Teen Choice Awards ceremony, actress Daisy Ridley was presented with the Choice Movie: Breakout Star Award for her performance as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The award was presented by Shadowhunters actor Matthew Daddario and WWE Superstars the Bella Twins.

In her acceptance speech, Ridley celebrated the cast diversity of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

“Thank you so much, Teen Choice. Thank you to everyone that voted. It feels incredible to be in this category with amazing people, especially my boy John [Boyega], and after the incredible people we just saw on stage it feels especially important to be part of a film that represents diversity in such a positive way,” Ridley said, referencing a group of children affected by gun violence who appeared on stage just prior to her category. “So thank you J.J. [Abrams], and Larry [Kasdan], and Michael [Arndt] for creating this character, and Disney and everyone for letting me be Rey. Thanks!”

The 24-year-old Ridley’s casting in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was the definition of a breakout role, taking her from an unknown who appeared in minor television roles and short films to an internationally known star of one of the biggest film franchises in history.

As Ridley mentioned, she was up against her Star Wars: The Force Awakens co-star John Boyega in the category. Other nominees for Choice Movie: Breakout Star were Gal Gadot in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Brianna Hildebrand in Deadpool, Neel Sethi in The Jungle Book, and Alexandra Shipp in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Ridley will reprise her role as Rey for Star Wars: Episode VIII. Check out when Episode VIII and other movies are coming out in ComicBook.com’s Movie Release Schedule.