The Force Awakens isn’t just a Class of ’77 reunion, however. Relative unknowns John Boyega and Daisy Ridley are playing two of the lead roles in the film, and Mayhew admits he had an easier time warming to one than the other.
“John, I liked very, very much. He’s a great actor. We had several scenes together, and John is one of those guys who knows how to react to any situation. He’s got a marvelous face… he’s got a wonderful personality. He has an advantage because he has a comic’s sense of humour.
“Daisy… was a little bit solid. More like Natalie [Portman] on the other movies [the prequels]. But I think, once she gets to see everything going on, she’s going to enjoy it, because it’s going to relax her. She’s going to be one hell of an actress. She will tell you, she will say, ‘I never thought we could do this, but now I see it’.
“When we were at Star Wars Celebration, she was completely different to how she was on set… I think she got taken aside by her agent and told not to be too stiff. So we watched her blossom, from a quiet young lady, into the girl who was there at Star Wars Celebration. She had blossomed; she was beautiful and full of personality. I think she’s got a lot of personality still to come out, and if the right movies come along, she will do very, very well.”