It’s been quite the year for television, with The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones both getting their licks in with Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, two prequels that look dead set on going head to head at the Emmys. That said, we’d all be remiss to not count Andor as part of that conversation as well; the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story prequel has left fans old and new drooling for more with every passing Wednesday.
Featuring a dialogue-driven political thriller backdrop, Andor is unlike anything we’ve ever seen from George Lucas’ sci-fi mythos, and every single member of the show’s vibrant ensemble cast has more than played their part in ensuring the show continues to fire on all cylinders. This is especially true of Andy Serkis, who was introduced to us as foreman Kino Loy in the series’ eighth episode, and whose electric tenacity has demanded the most attention of just about everyone we’ve seen so far.
But this isn’t Serkis’ first space rodeo; the Englishman first flexed his Star Wars chops in The Force Awakens, where he portrayed Supreme Leader Snoke, a role he would continue to bring to varying degrees of life throughout the sequel trilogy. In an interview with Screen Rant, Serkis divulged how Andor‘s unique take on the franchise coupled with his intrigue towards Kino Loy was more than enough to bring him back into the Star Wars fold.
“Just coming into the universe again, but from a completely different point of view… I found really intoxicating. And just when Tony and I talked about the character of Kino, [I wanted] to play a character that goes on the journey that he does, and actually to play someone who—pre his incarceration—is inherently a good human being who cares for others.”
He would go on to flesh out his interpretations of Kino, later noting how the prisoner’s storyline is a particularly touching one.
“I always saw him as a foreman or a shop steward on a factory floor, who was very vocal and stood up for workers’ rights. Then once he was incarcerated for no reason other than the Empire saw him as perhaps a little bit of a threat, he just became this other version of himself, which was kind of cold and shut down. Then he finds his humanity again, once he is ignited by meeting Cassian.”
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine not getting drawn to a script like Andor‘s; the show’s iron grip on the fundamentals of storytelling is second to none, with the show’s dialogue in particular capable of captivating an audience with just as much confidence as the high-octane space battles that Star Wars is usually known for.
Andor‘s first season is currently streaming on Disney Plus, with new episodes releasing every Wednesday up until the season’s conclusion on Nov. 23.