Daisy Ridley plays a pioneering sportswoman who made a big splash in the world of swimming in Disney Plus' new film, Young Woman And The Sea.
Inspired by the 2009 book of the same name by author Glenn Stout, Young Woman And The Sea, it charts the inspirational true story of American Olympic champion Gertrude 'Trudy' Ederle, who on 6 August 1926 became the first ever woman to swim the 21-mile route across the English Channel.
Produced by Pirates of the Caribbean team Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman, Star Wars favourite Daisy, is joined by a star-studded cast including Sian Clifford (Fleabag) as Charlotte Epstein, Trudy's first swimming coach, Christopher Eccleston (The A Word) as her Olympic trainer Jabez Wolffe and Stephen Graham (Boiling Point) as her swimming hero Bill Burgess.
Meanwhile, Killing Eve's Kim Bodnia and The Reader star Jeanette Hain are Trudy's hard-working parents Henry and Gertrude.
What To Watch spoke to Daisy, 32, to hear all about it and the biggest challenges she faced...
It’s such an amazing story but Trudy’s name is not well known. Why do you think that is?
Daisy Ridley says: "It’s one of those strange things that most people have never heard of her. I hadn’t myself until I was approached to play her so it feels wonderful to be telling her story nearly 100 years later. Jeff Nathanson, who wrote the script, came across the book The Young Woman And The Sea, (by author Glenn Stout), and was passionate about getting Trudy’s story onto the screen because it’s so inspirational."
What appealed to you most about the role?
"Portraying a woman who achieved a physical feat that had never been done before was a huge attraction but also the prospect of working with producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman. They have made some of the most amazing films in recent decades, including Pirates of the Caribbean which I love. When I was little I went to Disneyland with my family and I was too small to go on the big rides so I just went on Pirates of the Caribbean over and over again."
You filmed many of the swimming scenes in the Black Sea and also the Channel. What was the most challenging part?
"I didn't like the sea to start with, during, or by the end of it either! I’m someone who likes to be able to see the bottom and this was the furthest out I’d ever been so that was my least favorite bit. I had to bury my panic and draw on some mental fortitude! You never know what’s beneath the big blue sea. For all I knew there could have been sharks."
Did it give you an insight into what Trudy went through?
"It gave me a taste but she did it for hours and hours and I was just doing minutes at a time. I now have a massive appreciation for people who do such challenging swims and a real appreciation for being on dry land afterward. Trudy broke down physical and psychological boundaries and did something women were told they couldn’t do. She refused to back down. I hope people, especially young people, will watch this and think of trying something new, of putting themselves out there."
How were your swimming skills beforehand?
"Well, I'm a good swimmer now! I’m generally fine doing physical things and I assumed it would be okay but when I started the training for this it was such a different sport to anything else I'd learned. Funnily enough, I met Diana Nyad (American record-breaking long-distance swimmer) who said she was impressed with my swimming in the film but I haven’t been swimming again since making it."
You have had so many great roles. What’s most important to you when choosing a new project to be part of?
The roles that I've done in the last few years are all so different in terms of genre, tone and characters. I'm a really big reader and I love watching all sorts of different movies but sometimes there's just an alchemy when you read a script and you just know. When I read this I felt so moved by it but also joyful. As well as Trudy’s amazing achievements I love the way it shows what a huge support her family were and the love they all had for each other in helping her achieve her ambitions.
Young Woman And The Sea airs from Friday, July 19 2024 on Disney Plus.
