Andy Serkis joins us to talk about his character Kino Loy in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Andor.”
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00:00 I just didn't want to compound any further confusion
00:04 about Snoke theories by adding another character
00:08 who people might think he was related to in some way.
00:11 - Are you all scrambled or something?
00:13 It takes a week for one word to get all the way up here
00:15 and you're panicking about something that's happening
00:17 on the other side of the building.
00:19 How many hands does it take for one word
00:23 to get through up here?
00:25 - I've honestly believed that Andor
00:27 is some of the best Star Wars
00:29 that they've made since the Disney acquisition.
00:32 And I said that after three episodes,
00:34 I had no clue how much better it was going to get.
00:37 - It's been such a joy coming back into the universe.
00:41 You know, we're playing a completely different character
00:43 and I really was a big fan of "Rogue One"
00:48 and I knew Tony Gilroy as a great storyteller
00:52 and a great director and writer.
00:54 So when he talked to me about the possibility
00:56 of coming back on board, I was thrilled.
00:59 And, you know, every single character
01:02 that Cassian meets along his way
01:05 is really filled three-dimensionally.
01:07 You know, they all have such clear,
01:10 or actually not clear, complex and murky,
01:14 but very fulfilling functions within the storytelling.
01:19 And Keno Loy was no exception.
01:22 And I really, really, you know, enjoyed,
01:25 when Tony was telling me about it,
01:26 I really enjoyed what was going to be my challenge.
01:30 And then consequently filming it was terrific.
01:33 - Additionally, I would love to give Toby Haynes
01:35 all the "Star Wars" moving forward.
01:37 He seems to have such a passion for the material.
01:40 What's he like as a collaborator?
01:42 - He's amazing.
01:43 I mean, he really is a fantastic director.
01:45 And like you say, he's so passionate about it.
01:48 And he just, I mean, he had a huge task
01:53 sort of making this his own
01:55 and boy, did he do that.
01:57 And especially on, well, I think, you know,
01:59 in the three, you know, the episode arc
02:01 that I was involved in, you know,
02:04 the three episode arc that I was involved in,
02:06 you know, it was very, very complex
02:10 and it had to go between all of the different storylines,
02:13 but then just Narkina 5 and the prison ship all on its own
02:17 was such a big undertaking, scale-wise.
02:20 And to have all of the individual character stories,
02:23 you know, told within that,
02:24 he did such a brilliant job.
02:26 So I agree.
02:27 - Andy, it's remarkable the amount of information
02:30 we learn about your character
02:31 in such a short amount of time.
02:33 And it makes me wish that we knew so much more about him,
02:36 you know, leading into it.
02:37 How much of that backstory do you even know?
02:40 - Well, I mean, I sort of created a version
02:43 of the backstory for myself
02:45 because I wanted to know who this man was
02:49 before he became incarcerated.
02:51 And so I figured he was like a, you know,
02:54 he was a foreman, you know,
02:56 who would stand up for workers' rights
02:59 and was a bit of a firebrand, very outspoken.
03:02 And then the Empire would have seen him
03:06 as someone who was good at galvanizing men,
03:09 but didn't like his outspokenness
03:11 and would have incarcerated him, but then used his skills.
03:15 And I think at the point where he, you know,
03:17 he's got a family, he's a regular sort of standup guy,
03:22 I think, and then actually, as soon as he goes into prison,
03:25 I think he loses touch with himself
03:27 and becomes very hardened very quickly
03:29 and just wants to keep his head down and, you know,
03:33 make it through.
03:34 And all he's thinking about is getting out.
03:36 And he therefore loses touch with his sort of,
03:40 his ability to care for others
03:43 and to think bigger than just beyond himself.
03:45 And so I think he becomes quite selfish.
03:47 And then, you know, then when he rams up against Cassian,
03:50 who sort of reignites his desire to think
03:55 and serve others beyond himself,
03:59 that's really where the arc changes for him.
04:02 And, you know, he finally, you know,
04:04 makes a great sacrifice.
04:06 - And given your history with the franchise,
04:09 was it just strange to get the call,
04:11 to come back and play in the sandbox?
04:13 - It really was.
04:14 I was so surprised.
04:15 I mean, you know, I just didn't want to compound
04:20 any further confusion about Snoke theories
04:23 by adding another character
04:25 who people might think he was related to in some way.
04:27 So I was sort of slightly trepidatious, if you like,
04:31 but actually, you know, once I talked to Tony about it
04:35 and I just thought, you know, why not?
04:37 You know, this is such a delicious character to play.
04:41 So I took the plunge.
04:44 - All right, so to that end,
04:46 because Klaue is one of my favorite MCU characters,
04:49 if Marvel were to call with a completely different character,
04:52 would you give it a listen?
04:53 - Hey, you know, I love both universes, of course.
04:57 And that's the great thing about performance capture as well.
05:01 You know, it allows you to completely
05:04 become something else, transform,
05:07 and how you manifest on screen is limitless.
05:11 So that's why I've always adored it
05:15 as a 21st century tool for an actor,
05:18 because it really does enable you
05:19 to thoroughly kind of investigate
05:22 and completely become something other than yourself.
05:26 - So did you find yourself with a remarkable amount
05:28 of downtime on the set of Andor
05:30 that you didn't have to prep for motion capture at all?
05:33 - Oh, far from it.
05:34 It was really stressful because that set was so demanding.
05:38 You know, we were often,
05:41 it wasn't like you could go and sit down anywhere
05:43 particularly, or, you know,
05:45 you have your bag with all your things in,
05:47 or, you know, it was really desensitizing that set,
05:51 walking around in bare feet on those metal floors.
05:53 You know, there was no comfort in it whatsoever.
05:56 It really got inside your head,
05:58 which is exactly why it was designed like that.
06:01 So there was no kind of space to kind of retreat to.
06:05 It was such a great design, but it really did,
06:08 it really messed with your head.
06:09 And yeah, so for the weeks that we were shooting it,
06:13 it sort of had a very, very powerful effect
06:17 on keeping you on edge, I guess.
06:19 - The parts that the teams are working on,
06:22 do you think that those are mechanisms
06:23 that eventually become part of the Death Star?
06:25 - Well, without giving anything away,
06:28 you know, I think absolutely that,
06:31 obviously the prison, the inmates have no idea
06:34 what they're making, but I think for the discerning eye,
06:38 I think there's a strong possibility
06:40 that they could be used for some nefarious activity.
06:44 - The irony of that is delicious,
06:46 and it's one of the beautiful things
06:47 about the different layers of this show
06:50 that I find so fantastic.
06:52 Of course, Andor's a prequel
06:53 that's giving us a chance to dive deeper
06:55 into a character that we fell in love with
06:57 in another setting.
06:59 But do you also think that you could do the same for Snoke
07:01 as a character who we caught up with very early on?
07:04 Is it possible that they could do a Disney+ series?
07:06 Would you even be interested in exploring that possibility?
07:09 - 100%.
07:10 I mean, there's so much more to be had out of Snoke.
07:13 I think he's a fascinating character,
07:15 and I'll never forget the day of reading Ryan's script
07:20 and getting halfway through and going,
07:23 "This is going so well for Snoke.
07:25 I'm loving the way this character's going."
07:27 And then, "Oh no! No, you can't!"
07:30 You know?
07:31 So that was one of the most kind of undercutting moments
07:37 of the experience.
07:41 But yes, so yes, in answer, yes.
07:44 Please bring back Snoke.
07:45 I love Snoke.
07:46 - Undercutting, no pun intended, of course.
07:48 (Andor laughs)
07:49 All right, I'll get you out of here on this.
07:51 The exciting news that Kelly Marcel is coming back
07:54 to direct "The Third Venom."
07:55 Terrific collaborator and a great storyteller.
07:58 I was wondering,
07:58 did you ever consider the gig at all, though?
08:00 - To be honest, I loved working with them
08:05 on that movie, but I've got so many projects
08:08 that are lined up that I've had in development
08:11 and actually put to one side to direct "Venom."
08:14 So with "Animal Farm" coming up
08:17 and a number, a slew of other projects
08:19 that I have been working on for such a long time,
08:22 to spend another couple of years,
08:25 it would have, that would have been a big ask.
08:27 But I mean, I'm so excited for her to do it
08:30 'cause she knows that world so well now, obviously.
08:33 And I think with her and Tom working hand in glove,
08:38 I'm really excited to see what they're gonna do.
08:40 (upbeat music)