How the Casting of ‘Andor’ Brought More Powerful Women to ‘Star Wars’

The extraordinary ensemble seen in Andor exemplified the best of Star Wars and brought more iconic heroes and villains to the franchise in two unforgettable seasons. Led by Genevieve O’Reilly, reprising her role as Mon Mothma, the women of the Disney+ series really carved out their legacies within the Lucasfilm universe.

In a behind-the-scenes featurette for Andor, casting directors Nina Gold and Martin Ware discussed discovering the immense talents of the series’ key leading ladies. Elizabeth Dulau was an utter revelation as Kleya Marki, a season two standout as Luthen Rael’s right-hand spymaster. Gold described their search for Kleya: “Obviously, Stellan Skarsgård is completely a genius. We needed to find someone to play Kleya, who [while] a young woman, could match him in authority and intensity and could go toe-to-toe with him in all situations, and [Dulau] really did that.” We’d have to agree with the sentiment because even when Kleya was no longer sharing moments with Skarsgård’s Luthen, the actress shone in some all-timer scenes, in particular that fateful hospital mission.

Ware knew that finding an equal to match Skarsgård was key for their storyline’s eventual conclusion. “With Stellan, because he kind of plays two parts in a way for quite a lot of the show, the gallery owner requires quite a lot of lightness of touch, and then he’s got the darker side, so it was just finding…”

Gold jumped in, “…Finding someone who could do that journey with him. She really had this inner command and real authority.” And it’s one fans would love to see again if Gilroy ever revisits Andor‘s surviving characters.

An Imperial baddie who we want to see get a bigger cinematic comeuppance is Denise Gough’s Dedra Mero, the overachieving Empire social climber. Gold described the cutthroat villain as an “evil mastermind.” Gough was cast after the casting directors saw her and co-star Kyle Soller on stage. “This was a real amazing showcase for their brilliance on screen. Both of their characters have really gone through a full, really big journey to go from where they started, as she was a very impenetrable, authoritarian boss.”

Ware complimented Gough’s season two transformation. “In season two, Dedra’s character, we see her in a domestic setting. We see her at home. We see her dealing with Syril’s mum. And loving Syril in her own very strange, peculiar way.” But of course her ambition leads her to abandon the simple fascist family life for bigger things that blow up in her face.

Gold and Ware had their work cut out for them insofar as what Gilroy wanted for Cassian’s romantic partner, Bix. Thankfully they found it all with Adria Arjona. “[As] soon as she did her first five words of her first audition, it suddenly became really obvious that it must be her.”

Gold explained that Bix needed to be more than just a love interest and demonstrate that she too was a capable fighter within the rebellion, which Arjona easily handled. “She had such an incredible mix of the other kind of strength and resilience of Bix and the vulnerability and willingness to go through this immense journey that Bix has to go through. She was one of the few people who we were able to get in the room to do a chemistry test with Diego [Luna], and again that just cemented it very clearly that they were really meant to be playing these parts opposite each other.” And we agree that Arjona and Luna’s performances gave Andor its heart as well as the hope the show’s lead sacrificed so much for.

According to Ware, the casting process was shaped by both the script and Andor‘s creator. “The script alone is so detailed and precise about character and intention that it’s quite easy for us to start thinking about brilliant actors to bring them to life. But then Tony Gilroy also would love to talk about other thoughts he had on the characters before we headed out there making lists and auditioning actors.”

Gold added that Gilroy’s input along the way really brought out what the galaxy needed in its heroes and villains to serve the incredible overarching story Andor brought to our screens. “It was fascinating because Tony’s interest in character is so detailed and wonderful, and he’s very flexible in his thinking,” Gold said. “When he sees something in an actor that’s not necessarily the thing that he’d originally thought, he’s quite happy to make some changes in his thought process if it seems the right thing to do. And also the writing is so appealing to actors because it is so interesting and good.”

The trio don’t even round out the rest of the supremely talented actresses showcased in Andor, but the galaxy is a better place because of them, that’s for sure. Watch the clip below!

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