Daisy Ridley Relates to Her Character in Sometimes I Think About Dying: ‘Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of F—ing S—‘

Daisy Ridley finds ways to relate to her pessimistic character Fran in Rachel Lambert’s Sundance drama Sometimes I Think About Dying. Well, sometimes.

“I think that we all know what it is to feel,” Ridley told the crowd during a Q&A after the film’s world premiere at Sundance on Thursday. “Like, sometimes I feel like a piece of f—ing shit. And sometimes I feel, like, great,” she joked.

The Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens actress both produces and stars in Sometimes I Think About Dying, which started as a short film that premiered at Sundance in 2019. It follows Fran, who daydreams her office cubicle days away imagining herself in various death scenarios. Then she meets a new coworker, Robert (Dave Merheje, Ramy), who encourages her to open up and start participating in life.

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“What was interesting with Fran was sometimes she’s sort of obnoxious. Sometimes, she’s like, ‘I don’t want to play your games. I don’t want to talk about food. I’m good, I’m apart from this.’ And other times, she’s like, ‘How do I become part of this?’ So I resonated with that,” Ridley said. “And in terms of the relationship [with Robert], I think — I don’t know, because when my mom watched this, she felt very sorry for Fran. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so separate [from a character], but I think I’m very lucky to be surrounded by people who help me fit in — make me feel comfortable in this world.”

The cast of Sometimes I Think About Dying also includes Brittany O’Grady (The White Lotus), Megan Stalter (Hacks), Bree Elrod (Red Rocket), Parvesh Cheena (Shining Vale), Marcia DeBonis (13 Going on 30), Ayanna Berkshire (Twilight), Sean Tarjyoto (Pig), Rich Hinz (Z Nation), June Eisler (Shrill), and Jeb Berrier (Grimm).

Main Image: Daisy Ridley appears in a still from Sometimes I Think About Dying by Rachel Lambert, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Dustin Lane.