Andor: Stellan Skarsgård and Genevieve O’Reilly on the Star Wars series that stands apart

Set in the lead-up to the events of Rogue One, Andor has long stood out as a Star Wars series a little different from the others. A little more adult and a little less concerned with fan service, the series has transcended the typical Star Wars audience to reach a larger audience. The first series was nominated for Best Outstanding Drama series at the Emmys, and the second one is poised to make a similar impact. A Star Wars show for people who aren’t necessarily Star Wars fans, the show taps into the revolutionary spirit that has been the backbone of the franchise since 1977.

In Andor season 2, Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor. The series follows his journey from apathetic outsider to passionate revolutionary, in a complex and compelling drama about personal sacrifice and compromise. In a world that feels increasingly marred by rising authoritarianism, Andor offers Disney’s take on resistance, a positive if not limited entry-point on revolutionary politics for the uninitiated. 

Speaking with Stellan Skarsgård, who plays Luthen Rael (a key player in the fledgling rebellion), he sees the show as a way of seeing the world through new eyes. “I don’t think it will make a revolution by itself, but it gives eyes to certain functions of the world and in that sense, it can be educative,” he says. “Through its really beautiful storytelling, it can hold up a mirror to ourselves.” 

Relating both the personal and the political, the show has a pointed view of the theme of personal sacrifice for the greater good. Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma plays an impersonal senator who tries to navigate the politics of the Empire while secretly helping fund the fledgling rebellion from her family fortune and elite connections. Relating to the experience Mon Mothma has with her daughter, including a pivotal moment in the third episode of the new season, O’Reilly explains that the show asks, builds on “the weight of sacrifice that is held over from season one.” Adding, that it asks the question, “What does sacrifice look like?” 

In exploring this angle on the Star Wars universe, Andor dives into the nuances and paradoxical environment of politics. Living a double life, Mon Mothma can’t afford to make mistakes. O’Reilly explains that it’s important that we see her as “an active, dynamic and effective politician. She’s only effective to the rebellion if she remains an effective senator, so she can never let that mask slip.”

Diving more into the character’s internal struggle, she explains, “I hope you see a great conflict within this woman because she can’t reveal herself. There is a moment where she decides to step out and rip those masks off, stepping out from behind the shadows, in a moment of wilful sacrifice. I wanted her to have an impactful voice this season. She doesn’t pick up a gun or play on the battlefield. It was really important for me as an actor playing her that her voice could impact the world and a politician could be powerful.”

As Andor moves for the final push of the season, it stands out as a work that takes risks in both subject and approach. More than just entertainment or a diversion, it’s engaging with real world issues and big questions of sacrifice and freedom. ■

Andor season 2 is currently streaming on Disney Plus.

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