‘Andor’: Genevieve O’Reilly Talks About Giving Mon Mothma Shades Of Gray & Teases What’s to Come [The Rogue Ones Podcast]

‘The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast’ returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.

In the fourth episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on the fabulous episode six, entitled “The Eye,” which dropped on Disney+ this week. After the discussion, actress Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma on the show and has since Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, joins the podcast to discuss bringing such gray area and lush detail to her character, what the sets represent for Mothma, and, finally, teases what’s to come in the first season of “Andor.”

For the uninitiated, “Andor” serves as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which itself was set just before the events of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.” The Lucasfilm series follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) five years before meeting Jyn Erso and the gang in ‘Rogue One,’ as he finds himself thrust into the middle of a budding rebel cell with plans to put a stick in the Empire’s eye. It’s a first for the Star Wars universe, as it acts as a political spy thriller that really considers the age of oppression, life during wartime, and what it’s like to be on the ground as a member of the rebel alliance and as a member of the Imperial Army. Going even deeper, “Andor” really examines what it’s like for everyday people struggling under an oppressive regime. The show also stars Stellan Skarsgard, Genevieve O’Reilly, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and more.

During the interview, O’Reilly discussed finally fleshing out the fan-favorite rebel leader, Mon Mothma.

“It’s really wonderful to have an opportunity, not just to return to her, but to get to explore her in a way that we’ve never seen her before.” O’Reilly shared. “I’ve really admired her as a character for a long time. I also have always respected that George Lucas and Caroline Blakiston, together, created this character, who is a female leader of the rebel alliance back in the early 1980s. That is something to stand up for.”

She continued to discuss how this Mon Mothma is so very different from the rebel leader we’re used to seeing.

“Previously, we’ve always seen her surrounded by a band of rebels, sending people off on a mission,” O’Reilly said. “When we meet her in ‘Andor,’ there is, as yet, no organized rebellion. There are only whispers, so she, when we meet her, is steeped in the Empire. She is neck-deep – working and living as a senator within the Imperial Senate. She is a lonely, female, isolated voice advocating for democracy against Palpatine’s dictatorship. That is not a happy place to be. We then meet her in her home life, and we see she’s neck-deep in Empire there, too.”

As for what’s upcoming for Mon Mothma, O’Reilly had an ominous tease to share.

“What we definitely get to see her do in this season is risk it all and how close it comes to breaking her,” O’Reilly said. “The choices that she has to make are not easy, and they’re not attractive, and they’re painful, and they’re a bit ugly. It’s darker and grayer a world that Mon Mothma has to inhabit, and I think she’ll be the better for it.”

Here’s our complete podcast breakdown of “Andor,” episode six, plus our entire conversation with Genevieve O’Reilly.

The Rogue Ones is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The Playlist Podcast, Be R eel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, The Discourse, Bingeworthy, and more—and can be heard on Apple Podcasts, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we appreciate it. Thank you for listening.