Andor' Cast Interview With Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis joins us to talk about his character Kino Loy in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Andor.”
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I just didn't want to compound any further confusion
00:04about Snoke theories by adding another character
00:08who people might think he was related to in some way.
00:11Are you all scrambled or something?
00:13It takes a week for one word to get all the way up here
00:15and you're panicking about something that's happening
00:17on the other side of the building.
00:20How many hands does it take for one word
00:23to get through up here?
00:25I've honestly believed that Andor is some
00:27of the best Star Wars that they've made
00:30since the Disney acquisition.
00:32And I said that after three episodes,
00:34I had no clue how much better it was going to get.
00:37It's been such a joy coming back into the universe.
00:41You know, we're playing a completely different character
00:43and I really was a big fan of Rogue One
00:49and I knew Tony Gilroy as a great storyteller
00:52and a great director and writer.
00:54So when he talked to me about the possibility
00:57of coming back on board, I was thrilled.
00:59And, you know, every single character
01:02that Cassian meets along his way
01:05is really filled three-dimensionally.
01:07You know, they all have such clear,
01:10or actually not clear, complex and murky
01:13and, you know, but very fulfilling functions
01:18within the storytelling.
01:19And Keno Loy was no exception.
01:22And I really, really, you know, enjoyed,
01:25when Tony was telling me about it,
01:27I really enjoyed what was going to be my challenge
01:30and then consequently filming it was terrific.
01:33Additionally, I would love to give Toby Haynes
01:35all the Star Wars moving forward.
01:38He seems to have such a passion for the material.
01:40What do you like as a collaborator?
01:42He's amazing.
01:43I mean, he really is a fantastic director.
01:45And like you say, he's so passionate about it.
01:48And he just, I mean, he had a huge task
01:53sort of making this his own
01:55and boy, did he do that.
01:57And especially on, well, I think, you know,
01:59in the three, you know, the episode arc
02:01that I was involved in, you know,
02:04the three episode arc that I was involved in,
02:06you know, it was very, very complex
02:10and it had to go between all of the different storylines
02:13but then just Narkina 5 and the prison ship
02:16all on its own was such a big undertaking scale-wise
02:20and to have all of the individual characters' stories,
02:23you know, told within that.
02:24He did such a brilliant job.
02:26So I agree.
02:27Andy, it's remarkable the amount of information
02:30we learn about your character
02:31in such a short amount of time.
02:33And it makes me wish that we knew so much more about him,
02:36you know, leading into it.
02:37How much of that backstory do you even know?
02:40Well, I mean, I sort of created a version
02:43of the backstory for myself
02:45because I wanted to know who this man was
02:49before he became incarcerated.
02:51And so I figured he was like a, you know,
02:54he was a foreman, you know,
02:56who would stand up for workers' rights
02:59and was a bit of a firebrand, very outspoken.
03:04And then the Empire would have seen him
03:06as someone who was good at galvanizing men
03:09but didn't like his outspokenness
03:11and would have incarcerated him but then used his skills.
03:15And I think at the point where he, you know,
03:17he's got a family, he's a regular sort of stand-up guy,
03:22I think.
03:23And then actually, as soon as he goes into prison,
03:25I think he loses touch with himself
03:27and becomes very hardened very quickly
03:29and just wants to keep his head down
03:31and, you know, make it through.
03:33And all he's thinking about is getting out.
03:36And he therefore loses touch with his sort of,
03:40his ability to care for others
03:43and to think bigger than just beyond himself.
03:45And so I think he becomes quite selfish.
03:47And then, you know, then when he rams up against Cassian,
03:50who sort of reignites his desire
03:54to think and serve others beyond himself,
03:59that that's really where the arc changes for him.
04:02And, you know, he finally, you know,
04:04makes a great sacrifice.
04:06And given your history with the franchise,
04:09was it just strange to get the call
04:11to come back and play in the sandbox?
04:13It really was.
04:14I was so surprised.
04:15I mean, you know,
04:18I just didn't want to compound any further confusion
04:21about Snoke theories by adding another character
04:25who people might think he was related to in some way.
04:27So I was sort of slightly trepidatious, if you like,
04:31but actually, you know, once I talked to Tony about it
04:35and I just thought, you know, why not?
04:37You know, this is such a delicious character to play.
04:41So I took the plunge.
04:44All right, so to that end,
04:46because Claw is one of my favorite MCU characters,
04:49if Marvel were to call
04:50with a completely different character,
04:52would you give it a listen?
04:53Hey, you know, I love both universes, of course.
04:57And that's the great thing
05:00about performance capture as well.
05:02You know, it allows you
05:03to completely become something else, transform,
05:07and how you manifest on screen is limitless.
05:12So that's why I've always adored it
05:15as a 21st century tool for an actor,
05:18because it really does enable you
05:19to thoroughly kind of investigate
05:22and completely become something other than yourself.
05:26So did you find yourself
05:27with a remarkable amount of downtime on the set of Andor
05:30that you didn't have to prep for motion capture at all?
05:33Oh, far from it.
05:34It was really stressful
05:36because that set was so demanding.
05:39You know, we were often,
05:41it wasn't like you could go
05:42and sit down anywhere particularly,
05:44or, you know, you have your bag
05:46with all your things in,
05:47or, you know, it was really desensitizing that set,
05:51walking around in bare feet on those metal floors.
05:54You know, there was no comfort in it whatsoever.
05:56It really got inside your head,
05:58which is exactly why it was designed like that.
06:01So there was no kind of space to kind of retreat to.
06:05It was such a great design,
06:07but it really did, it really messed with your head.
06:09And yeah, so for the weeks that we were shooting it,
06:13it sort of had a very, very powerful effect
06:17on keeping you on edge, I guess.
06:19The parts that the teams are working on,
06:22do you think that those are mechanisms
06:23that eventually become part of the Death Star?
06:25Well, without giving anything away,
06:28you know, I think absolutely that,
06:31obviously that the prison,
06:32the inmates have no idea what they're making,
06:34but I think for the discerning eye,
06:38I think there's a strong possibility
06:40that they could be used for some nefarious activity.
06:44The irony of that is delicious,
06:46and it's one of the beautiful things
06:47about the different layers of this show
06:50that I find so fantastic.
06:52Of course, Andor is a prequel
06:53that's giving us a chance to dive deeper
06:55into a character that we fell in love with
06:57in another setting.
06:59But do you also think that you could do the same for Snoke
07:01as a character who we caught up with very early on?
07:04Is it possible that they could do a Disney Plus series?
07:06Would you even be interested in exploring that possibility?
07:09A hundred percent.
07:10I mean, there's so much more to be had out of Snoke.
07:13I think he's a fascinating character,
07:15and I'll never forget the day of reading Ryan's script
07:21and getting halfway through and going,
07:23this is going so well for Snoke.
07:25I'm loving the way this character's going.
07:27And then, oh no, no, you can't.
07:30You know, that was one of the most kind of
07:36undercutting moments of the experience.
07:41But yes, so yes, in answer, yes, please bring back Snoke.
07:45I love Snoke.
07:46Undercutting, no pun intended, of course.
07:49All right, I'll get you out of here on this.
07:51The exciting news that Kelly Marcel
07:53is coming back to direct the third Venom.
07:55Terrific collaborator and a great storyteller.
07:58I was wondering, did you ever consider the gig at all,
07:59though?
08:01I, to be honest, I loved working with them on that movie,
08:06but I've got so many projects that are lined up
08:09that I've had in development
08:11and actually put to one side to direct Venom.
08:14So with Animal Farm coming up
08:17and a number, a slew of other projects
08:19that I have been working on for such a long time,
08:22to spend another couple of years,
08:25it would have, you know, that would have been a big ask.
08:27But I mean, she, I'm so excited for her to do it
08:31because she knows that world so well now, obviously.
08:33And I think with her and Tom working, you know,
08:37hand in glove, it's, I'm really excited
08:39to see what they're going to do.