Andor star, Denise Gough, recently recalled a hilariously perfect Star Wars moment during her first day filming on set. The latest entry in the long-running science-fiction fantasy franchise stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, a spy for the Rebel Alliance that made his Star Wars debut in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Set five years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Andor aims to tell the tale of how Cassian rose in the ranks of the Rebellion as the resistance grows into an army determined to overthrow the evil Galactic Empire.
Gough stars as Dedra Meero, an officer in the Imperial Security Bureau who will be introduced in Andor episode 4. Following Cassian and Luthen Rael's (Stellan Skarsgård) daring escape from Ferrix, Meero is tasked to lead the investigation into the perpetrators. Taking influence from Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad, Meero will be meticulous and relentless in her pursuit of Cassian.
In a recent interview with THR, Gough recalled her first day on Andor and her hilarious reaction to the moment. The actor explained that her first day was on the Ferrix set, a completely real mockup of a city on the industrial planet. Gough was dressed in her Imperial officer's uniform and entered the set flanked by two actors dressed as Death Troopers. Caught up in the moment, the actor hummed the Star Wars theme music, which became contagious and spread to all of the extras on set. Read what Gough said about her first day below:
"So, first day, straight in, we were on the [Ferrix] set that they built. All the sets were real. So we were in a little town, and I’m in my full Imperial uniform. And then they gave me two Death Troopers, and we walked through a sea of extras. So I just started humming the Star Wars theme tune, and then all the extras started humming it. And suddenly, I was super aware that I’m in Star Wars, but then I forgot about it again until these last few days. So now I’m really overwhelmed that I’m in Star Wars."
Andor’s Practical Locations Make For A Unique Star Wars Show
Writer and creator, Tony Gilroy, made it a point to use completely practical sets when shooting Andor. When Mandalorian season 1 was filmed, many of the scenes used the StageCraft LED Volume, a large array of screens that display customizable backgrounds to simulate real locations. This new technology has been incorporated into various additional Star Wars projects such as The Book of Boba Fett and Kenobi. However, for Andor, actual outdoor sets were built from the ground up to create a more immersive environment for the actors to get into character. The quality of the Ferrix set was so effective that it immediately caused Gough to march into the shoot with her imposing Imperial protectors humming the Star Wars theme.
From her very first day, it was clear that Gough embraced her role as the latest villain in Star Wars. Set to partner with the fiercely determined Syril Karn (Kyle Soller), the Deputy Inspector of Corporate Security, Gough can firmly establish Meero as one of the standout antagonists in the entire Star Wars franchise. With Cassian ready to take his first steps into the underground rebellion against the Empire, Andor is setting Meero up for a dramatic clash with the budding spy.
Source: THR