Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley has told how she felt “really strong” performing physical scenes in the sci-fi franchise’s latest film.

The 25-year-old, who plays leading character Rey in the saga’s eighth instalment, The Last Jedi, spoke at the film’s European premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday.

She told the Press Association: “I felt really strong, I worked really hard and it’s weird because I don’t like watching the emotional stuff, but watching the fight I was like ‘that’s awesome’.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi European Premiere – London
Daisy Ridley poses on the red carpet (Matt Crossick/PA)

Meanwhile, Mark Hamill, the 66-year-old veteran actor who reprises his role as Luke Skywalker, said: “We have all these young people who do the heavy lifting for me now.

“I’m recognising they split my character up into all these new characters.

“I used to be the orphan with mystical powers, I used to be the cocky pilot, I used to be disguised running round the Death Star, everybody else is doing all the things I used to do.

“So, it’s like watching a bunch of kids rifling through your old toy box playing with your toys – and I don’t like it!

“No, they’re all good, but you get to be a certain age you can be as cranky as you want to be, and it’s a good place to be.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi European Premiere – London
Mark Hamill (John Stillwell/PA)

Stars from the film were joined on the red carpet by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry – fans of the films who are rumoured to have taken on cameo roles as stormtroopers in the latest movie.

Writer and director Rian Johnson said: “I just wanted to make a good Star Wars movie but I wanted to tell a story that felt alive.

“It doesn’t seem very interesting just redoing what has come before, so it was a balance of capturing what we love about it while telling a new story that feels really alive right now.”