The Best Part About Star Wars Fans And Their Theories, According To Rogue One And Andor’s Genevieve O’Reilly

Star Wars fans can take a lot of flak. They have proven themselves to be a tough crowd to please, finding issue with multiple Star Wars projects – from the prequel trilogy helmed by George freaking Lucas to the recent attempts at expanding the Star Wars timeline through original Disney+ series. Now that Andor has landed on the streamer, the consensus reaction has been extremely positive, leading to all sorts of speculation about the characters, the plotlines, and where this series can go. And Andor co-star Genevieve O’Reilly tells us that’s one of the things she appreciates most about the Star Wars fandom.

Genevieve O’Reilly had a difficult role to assume when she joined the Star Wars franchise to play a Rebellion leader and member of the Galactic Senate, Mon Mothma. The character originally dates back to Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, though she was played by English thespian Caroline Blakiston. O’Reilly later stepped into the classic part, and appears again in the new Disney+ series Andor. So when we spoke with her about her time spent in the Star Wars universe, which dates back to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, she told us:

I love Star Wars fans because they are so passionate. They are so lived-in, with regards to this experience. So, I let them do all of the thinking, and the speculating. And I leave that up to them because they do it much better than I do! And I will just step in as the actor. Because in the end, I feel like Star Wars fans know much more than I do. I just hope that my excavation of Mon Mothma can live up to their high standards.

The first three episodes of Andor, available to viewers with a Disney+ subscription, start to map out the seeds of rebellion that are planted in the show’s main character, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). We know a few quick things about the series, and where it might be heading over the course of its two season run. And we know that it will pass the baton to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which itself was a prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope. But how Mon Mothma will fit into that unfolding narrative remains a mystery at the moment, so we wait patiently for the next episode to arrive.

The Andor cast also raved about their director on the show, crediting Toby Haynes for the vision he has applied to the universe. Lucasfilm has managed to attract some exciting talents behind the lens on their series, going from Jon Favreau and Taika Waititi to Bryce Dallas Howard and the exciting Deborah Chow. We can’t wait to see where this Disney+ series takes the expanding story of Star Wars, but we love what we have seen so far, and eagerly await the upcoming Andor chapters.    

Sean O'Connell
Managing Editor

Sean O’Connell is a journalist and CinemaBlend’s Managing Editor. Having been with the site since 2011, Sean interviewed myriad directors, actors and producers, and created ReelBlend, which he proudly cohosts with Jake Hamilton and Kevin McCarthy. And he's the author of RELEASE THE SNYDER CUT, the Spider-Man history book WITH GREAT POWER, and an upcoming book about Bruce Willis.