Andor' Cast Interview With Andy Serkis

Cinema Blend

Andy Serkis joins us to talk about his character Kino Loy in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Andor.”

Transcript

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)

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