Where would the Star Wars franchise be without its villains? From Darth Vader to Emperor Palpatine and Darth Maul to Kylo Ren, the bad guys of the Star Wars universe often end up being some of its most interesting and compelling characters.
Next month two new villains will be introduced to fans of A Galaxy Far, Far Away via the new Disney+ live-action series Star Wars: Andor– Deputy Inspector Syril Karn (portrayed by Anna Karenina’s Kyle Soller) and Imperial Security Bureau Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough from the 2010 version of Robin Hood). Soller and Gough recently participated in a virtual press conference in promotion of Andor, in which they both discussed their intriguing roles in the series.
“What attracted me to the role was Tony [Gilroy’s] writing,” says Kyle Soller about why he accepted the role of Syril Karn. “He had created a character that was really three-dimensional and had a big question mark over him– he could kind of go either way. He could go into the Empire; he could go into the Rebel Alliance. He's got a lot of gray area. He came from a place of such lack– it's such a pain in his home life that he's trying to fill this void within himself through the fascist, corporate, bureaucratic structure where he finds order. And he finds a place to be seen if he can supersede his station and climb those ranks. So really, what Tony created– having a character that wasn't really sure about himself– was what made it the most fun to play.”
Soller also commented on Andor’s intricately detailed production design. “I remember coming to one of the sets: the town that had been built by the production design and the set units. Every little thing had been thought of. Every single drawer had something in it. Every cabinet had a whole life inside. There was this whole crowd milling about before we'd started filming, and the crowd somehow was parted and there was this line of Stormtroopers, and at that point I had sort of forgotten that I was in Star Wars because I was like, ‘Oh, I'm in this socio-political drama that's also a family drama and a love story. There's all this amazing stuff going on that's relevant to today. And oh, [also] there are a bunch of stormtroopers. [laughs] I dropped my coffee and my inner child was pretty happy.”
“Dedra is an ISB officer,” says Denise Gough about her character Dedra Meero. “And when we meet her, she's at the low end of the ladder, [but] she's incredibly ambitious and meticulous. What I love about playing her is that she's in this very male-dominated world, and she's seeing around her the way that people are missing what she can see is happening. We've been talking a lot about this– about Dedra and Syril and how they come into this world. They're sort of outsiders within the ISB. She's clawing her way up the ladder. I love portraying the effect that power just has on a person– the danger of that pursuit of power and control, regardless of gender. I mean, I do kind of love that you're thinking ‘Oh, go girl,’ and then you remember she's in a fascist organization. [laughs] So yeah, I'm getting a real thrill being able to play her.”
“I think Dedra is so proud of herself that she's working in this incredible organization. She's proud of being part of this. And she wants to really make her mark in this industry of the Empire. I had a scene where I had to walk into the building and I remember thinking how great she feels in that uniform, like everything about working for the Empire is everything that she wants. The thing that’s really frustrating for her, and what was really brilliant, was the things that really annoy her. When I was sitting [in the ISB headquarters], there's another character in this office who is kind of messy– his uniform was a bit messy and he was slouched. And as Dedra, I was like, ‘Oh my god, sit up.’ Her meticulousness just appeals to everything. Then when she meets Cyril– I remember the first time Kyle and I worked together and I go, ‘He's so clean.’ I just love how tidy and tight and clean [they both are] and they just are gonna live happily ever after in a really tidy clean house in space.”
Like Kyle Stoller, Denise Gough also has fond memories of the series’ production design. “[My favorite memory was] the same set as Kyle was talking about– it was so intricate and so beautiful. You see, I don't have any Star Wars background. I never watched it. I was so into Batman as a little girl, I didn't have any connection to the Star Wars universe, really. Then I'm standing there and I have this really cool coat on and my gun. And then I'm given two Death Troopers who are walking behind me, and I started [humming the ‘Imperial March’], and then all the extras started [moving around], so suddenly I'm walking through this set and I'm thinking, ‘Even I, as somebody who is not in any way an aficionado of this stuff, I cannot believe that I'm here doing this.’ Then just over the last week, I'd kind of forgotten [I’m in] Star Wars, and then suddenly you're introduced, the trailer comes out and the poster, and I'm like, ‘Oh my god, my nephews are going nuts.’ Now it's just like, ‘Oh my god, I'm in Star Wars.’ [laughs] I wish I knew more about it. So I'm gonna study… I'm gonna study.”
Star Wars: Andor premieres with its first three episodes on Wednesday, September 21, exclusively via Disney+.