Stellan Skarsgård recalls “very intense” filming for Andor monologue
By Daniel Roman
Andor is one of the best television series to come out of the Star Wars universe to date; a story of the birth of a revolution populated by fascinatingly complex characters. One of the foremost is Luthen Rael, played by Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård. Skarsgård is a veteran actor who has appeared in huge film franchises before, like Marvel’s Thor movies and Denis Villenueve’s visionary adaptation of Dune. But even by the actor’s own lofty standards, Luthen Rael is a standout.
One of the most riveting moments in Andor’s first season comes in its ninth episode, where Skarsgård delivered a fantastic monologue about his character’s motives for starting the Rebel Alliance, and how he knows he won’t live to see the fruits of his labors.
Stellan Skarsgård talks recording that Luthen Rael monologue
Skarsgård recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about Andor, and recalled the “very intense” filming process for the scene.
"I mean, of course I knew I had a speech that was very well written, and it was probably one of the best scenes in the season. And I worked on it. When we shot it, somehow I was tense. I think I said, “Let’s go again, let’s go again.” I think I did it 10 times in a row, very fast, right on top of each other. 10 times, like “Go, go, go.” And then it was good. Then, I was satisfied, and the director was satisfied."
The actor also talkedspoke about working on the impressive sets for Andor, which utilized far more practical effects than your average sci-fi production.
“Well, I was very happy to be in that kind of Star Wars universe and not like in many films, where you’re just in the world of green screens,” Skarsgård said. “Because it affects you physically when you have the set. You can’t deny that. It was the same thing with the sets on Dune. They are physically there, these enormous sets, and you feel it in your body. You move differently. We had all of Ferrix built up as this city. It’s very exciting.”
Andor season 2 is “director-proof and actor-proof”
Andor season 2 is still in production, but with a pretty major caveat: showrunner Tony Gilroy is currently not working on the series due to the WGA writer’s strike. Nonetheless, Andor is forging ahead. According to Skarsgård, Gilroy tried his best to make the show’s writing so air-tight before the strike started that it would be “director-proof and actor-proof.”
"[Andor season 2 is] going great. I mean, Tony Gilroy has gone on strike, as of the first of May. He finished the scripts right on the day, and then he shut off the phone and disappeared into a picket line somewhere. So, we’ll see. He claims that the [series] is director-proof and actor-proof, which means that it can’t be destroyed. [Laughs] We’ll see if it works."
If we were talking about any other series, talk like that would make me nervous, but I’m inclined to give Andor the benefit of the doubt.
Andor season 2 is expected to premiere in the summer of 2024, though that could change depending on how long it takes studios to come back to the negotiating table to end the writers’ strike.
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h/t IndieWire