The Swedish actor opens up joining the Star Wars galaxy and building a revolution as Luthen Rael.
ButAndorintroduces a far more complex character, one unlike any we’ve ever seen before.
Stellan Skarsgardplays Luthen Rael, a hardened freedom fighter and early architect of the Rebel Alliance.
Stellan Skarsgard in ‘Andor’.2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.
When the series begins, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is still taking his first steps toward revolution.
In an exclusive interview, Skarsgard spoke to EW’sDagobah Dispatchpodcastabout joining a galaxy far, far away.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take me back to the beginning.
Stellan Skarsgard and Diego Luna in ‘Andor’.2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.
How was this character pitched to you?
STELLAN SKARSGARD:Tony Gilroypitched it to me.
He himself was a very great reason for me to take it.
He pitched it and said he was going to make a story that is more real than the others.
I know him and his writing, and every scene has an urgency to it.
Every scene has a great tension to it.
I got to read the first three or four episodes, so it was not a big question.
And I said yes.
Luthen is a fascinating character.
What was it about him that you found interesting?
That was interesting for me, but he’s interesting as well because he is extreme.
He’s like Che Guevara or the Rote Armee Fraktion in Germany or any terrorists, really.
But also, as a revolutionary, he is like George Washington.
So, he’s got all those ingredients that make him very exciting.
He has this conflict between doing the right thing and also being able to kill for the right thing.
You talked about how he lives this double life, and he really is a shape-shifter.
We see him put on his wig, and he can suddenly become the shopkeeper from Coruscant.
What interested you about the way he literally transforms?
Well, it was very funny.
But I also love wigs!
[Laughs] I think it’s fantastic to put a wig on and be someone else.
There’s that incredible line about burning his life to make a sunrise he’ll never see.
What do you remember most from filming that scene?
And I worked on it.
When we shot it, somehow I was tense.
I think I said, “Let’s go again, let’s go again.”
10 times, like “Go, go, go.”
And then it was good.
Then, I was satisfied, and the director was satisfied.
It really is this intense moment.
Yeah, it was very intense.
What was it like for you to walk around those sets and be in theStar Warsuniverse like that?
Because it affects you physically when you have the set.
you might’t deny that.
We had all of Ferrix built up as this city.
It’s very exciting.
No, but I was happy that I had my own spaceship.
I’ve lacked that in my career so far.
What’s that like to get to pilot a spaceship?
What’s it like behind the controls?
[Laughs] You’re like 10 years old when you sit down behind the controls.
You become serious, and you turn the wheel and push the buttons and stuff.
You become very silly, but it’s very fun.
Tell me a little bit about working with Diego Luna on this.
There are some really beautiful, intense scenes between the two of you.
He was also a reason for me to take the job.
We met several years ago.
We were supposed to do a film about football, but it didn’t happen not with us.
It sort of broke down.
So I’ve been waiting for him to do a film with me again.
And I love the fellow.
He’s a true actor, and he’s a true man.
I also love the scenes with you and Genevieve O’Reilly, where Mon Mothma comes to Luthen’s shop.
What do you remember most about filming those scenes with her?
I’m playing the Coruscant character there, which is much more flamboyant.
But the first scene she entered, she came with this great limousine she has, flying in.
There’s a lot of really great actors that I met all the time there.
It’s so well cast.
I had a lot of fun.
I know season 2 is in the works.
How’s that been going?
That’s going great.
I mean, Tony Gilroy has gone on strike, as of the first of May.
So, we’ll see.
[Laughs] We’ll see if it works.
It’ll be lovely.
But I can’t tell you, I’m afraid!
