Actress Daisy Ridley has publicly shared her experience with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that predominantly affects young and middle-aged women. Ridley, 32, best known for her role as Rey in the recent Star Wars trilogy, initially attributed her symptoms—such as a racing heart rate, weight loss, fatigue, and hand tremors—to the stress of filming.
In an interview with Women’s Health, Ridley described her initial thoughts: “I thought, well, I’ve just played a really stressful role, presumably that’s why I feel poorly.” However, her diagnosis came after a doctor suggested that her symptoms could be related to Graves’ disease, which often leaves people feeling “tired but wired.”
Ridley reflected on her previous irritability, noting, “It was funny. I was like, oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world, but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out.” She emphasized the importance of acknowledging when one is unwell and not simply dismissing it. “We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and [it’s about] sort of coming to terms with saying, ‘I really, actually don’t feel good’ and not going, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine,'” she said. “It’s just normalised to not feel good.”
Although Ridley described Graves’ disease as “much less severe than what a lot of people go through,” she asserted that dealing with it should not be a necessity. “Even if you can deal with it, you shouldn’t have to. If there’s a problem, you shouldn’t have to just [suffer through it],” she stated.
Ridley, who received her diagnosis almost a year ago, has since made lifestyle and dietary changes that she says have significantly improved her well-being. “I didn’t realise how bad I felt before,” she admitted. “Then I looked back and thought, How did I do that?”
The British actress, recognized for her roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, as well as recent dramas like Magpie and Young Woman and The Sea, has used her platform to raise awareness about the condition.
Understanding Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition where the immune system produces antibodies that stimulate the thyroid to release excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. It affects about 80% of individuals with an overactive thyroid gland. Although the exact cause is unknown, it often affects young or middle-aged women and can run in families. Smoking may also increase the risk.
Symptoms of Graves’ disease can include irritability, weight loss despite a good appetite, palpitations, sweating, tremors, poor sleep, muscle weakness, frequent bowel movements, and menstrual irregularities.
In 2011, US rapper Missy Elliott also revealed her battle with Graves’ disease, which had severe impacts on her health, including hair loss and a compromised nervous system.
