‘Andor’ star Genevieve O’Reilly spies AOC inspiration for ‘Star Wars’ leader Mon Mothma
“Star Wars” pop culture cred of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia, the leader of the Rebel Alliance has quietly become an important legacy character in George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away.
And Genevieve O’Reilly is more than ready to show a new side to her.
While Caroline Blakiston first played the supporting role in 1983’s “Return of the Jedi,” O’Reilly has owned Mothma beginning with a small part in the 2005 prequel Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” and enjoying a more sizable role in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
With the upcoming Disney+ series “Andor” (streaming Sept. 21), the Rebel-rousing woman finally gets the spotlight even as danger lurks all around her.
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Created by Tony Gilroy (the “Bourne” films, “Michael Clayton”), the show opens its first season (three episodes at first, then weekly on Wednesdays) five years before the events of “Rogue One,” in the early days of resistance to the evil Galactic Empire. Future secret agent Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) is recruited to be part of this nascent rebellion, while Mothma – a high-profile politician in the Imperial Senate – works for the good guys in secret, although she’s paranoid about being found out. (Fans will get a special sneak peek at “Andor” when “Rogue One” is rereleased in IMAX theaters Friday.)
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O’Reilly – who was born in Dublin and raised in Australia – leaned into real-life inspiration, watching speeches by New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Those are “voices against the status quo, women who are willing to risk their voice in popular culture to stand up for what they believe in,” O’Reilly says. “And I think we see Mon do that in ‘Andor.”’
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In “Star Wars” history, Mothma survives to witness the ultimate downfall of the Empire as she rallies the Rebels toward the destruction of the second Death Star in “Return of the Jedi.” But before all that, O’Reilly says, “we will have to drag her somewhere. We know she loses, essentially. We know she loses the fight to make a difference from within the Senate and she has to jump to the Rebel side. We know that we have to meet her in Yavin at that table (in ‘Rogue One’) amongst those Rebels.
“I’m fascinated to see how that happens and how she gets there. I don’t think it’s going to be all easy or all happy. It’ll be painful for her.”
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