Andor star Genevieve O’Reilly says the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ show will reveal more about Mon Mothma. O’Reilly first appeared as Mon Mothma in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith before going on to voice the authoritative Rebel Alliance leader in Star Wars Rebels and play her in live-action in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rogue One follows Cassian Andor, Jyn Erso, and a team of soldiers’ suicide mission to steal the Death Star plans, which leads directly into the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Rogue One has arguably been the most well-received Star Wars film. Following The Mandalorian’s success on Disney+, Lucasfilm has developed a handful of other shows in The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and Andor. The latter will take place between Episodes III and IV, following Diego Luna’s character five years before the events of Rogue One. In addition to Luna, Andor will feature Star Wars newcomers in Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, and Kyle Soller alongside legacy characters like Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera and O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma. As a pivotal figure who has had limited live-action screen time, the upcoming Star Wars spinoff is poised to dispel much of the mystery around Mon Mothma.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly during Star Wars Celebration, Luna, O’Reilly, and executive producer Sanne Wohlenberg discussed Andor. As its lead actress, O’Reilly said audiences will finally get to know Mon Mothma in the series. The actor explained that Andor will see Mon Mothma evolve from a "pillar" to a "human being," saying:
“The idea of learning about this character — for me, as much as for anyone else — through a long-form narrative was really interesting. We have now the chance to get to know the woman. Previously, she was a bit of a pillar, or maybe a statue. I love that now we get to excavate that a little bit and learn about the human being — the woman behind the gown if you will.”
It’s safe to say Star Wars viewers are curious about Mon Mothma, who has appeared many times throughout the Skywalker Saga. The role was originated by Caroline Blakiston in 1983’s Return of the Jedi, which saw the character appear in a briefing scene before the movie’s two-pronged attack on the new Death Star. Following appearances in Rebels and Rogue One, Andor can better flesh out the character of Mon Mothma and award her a proper arc, as O'Reilly rightly points out that she has previously been a somewhat two-dimensional character. What's more, showrunner Tony Gilroy previously teased Mon Mothma’s backstory, also saying it will be a huge part of Andor.
At the beginning of Andor (as it overlaps with Rebels), Mon Mothma will still be a politician in the Imperial Senate under the rule of Emperor Palpatine. It will be interesting to see the key member of the burgeoning Rebellion become stoic, composed, and steadfast in her beliefs. With Andor season 2 already scheduled to film this fall, the complete show may follow Mon Mothma right up until the events of Rogue One. However, the first new Mon Mothma details will become clear when Andor season 1 releases on Disney+ on August 31.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
