ACTRESS Gwendoline Christie has told how she felt honoured to make history when she became the first female villain in Star Wars.

The Worthing born star spoke fresh from the glory of appearing on the Hollywood red carpet at the world premiere of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.

The 37-year-old appeared alongside stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill in the highly-anticipated new movie, expected to be the biggest money spinner of all time.

Gwendoline, who grew up on the South Dows, said: "I feel really privileged but more than that I'm so encouraged that they have listened to the people and what people want, what they wanted was for the origins of the film to be honoured but brought up to date to provide a better mirror to society today.

"I felt it was progressive as a female character, there was a liberation in the body being covered in practical armour and for the focus to be on the character rather than the way the physical form looked."

Gwendoline plays the role of Captain Phasma in the film. She is already a huge star, largely due to playing feisty woman-warrior Brienne of Tarth in the hit TV seriesGame of Thrones, and she is in two of The Hunger Games films.

At the premiere on Hollywood Boulevard she was joined by an army of Stormtroopers plus the robot characters C-3PO and R2-D2 at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

The film has already made box office history in England, where it has sold more than half a million tickets for its opening week at one cinema chain alone.

The seventh instalment in the series, which comes 10 years after the last film, reunites the original trio who were absent from the prequels. They are joined by newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson and Gwendoline.

The plot of the movie has been a closely-guarded secret but so far reviews suggest it will be a huge hit.

The Force Awakens premieres in the UK today ahead of general release tomorrow, when Brighton Premiere and entertainment agency the E3 Group will be hosting a special charity gala screening of the film at the Odeon on King’s Road on December 17.