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Andor
Interviews
“His Awakening Begins”: Star Diego Luna on Returning to Cassian in Andor

“His Awakening Begins”: Star Diego Luna on Returning to Cassian in Andor

The actor tells StarWars.com about how his character’s journey and his cultural heritage combine for a new and timely Star Wars story.

Kristin Baver
Kristin Baver
September 29, 2022

The actor tells StarWars.com about how his character’s journey and his cultural heritage combine for a new and timely Star Wars story.

Follow Cassian Andor on his journey to becoming the rebel hero we know from Rogue One as his story unfolds in Andor Season 2, now streaming only on Disney+. Check back regularly for episode guides, highlights, behind-the-scenes content, cast interviews, and more from Season 2 on StarWars.com!

Cassian Andor’s journey from Kenari orphan to hero of the Rebel Alliance is just beginning.

Cassian and K2SO

In the first three-episode arc of Andor, the new Star Wars Original series now streaming on Disney+, we learned more about what drew the young man into the fight against the Empire, how he met his found family on Ferrix, and even stepped inside his childhood bedroom for a glimpse at what shaped Cassian’s youth.

Cassian Andor in the Disney+ series Andor

Behind the scenes, star Diego Luna’s return to the role has been a journey six years in the making. After being cast in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Luna couldn’t have predicted that he’d have the chance to tell the origin story of Cassian Andor. “I've been involved as an executive producer, so I've been reading the material from the beginning,” Luna tells StarWars.com of the latest Star Wars live-action series. “And it's been very important for me to understand the journey and what needs to happen this first year. It's crucial. It's the year where [Cassian’s] awakening begins.”

Since his arrival on screen, Andor has become a fan favorite, especially essential for viewers in the Hispanic community. “This character represents a lot. It's important that we see ourselves on the screen, that we feel represented, that the stories we tell reflect the world that's out there,” Luna says. “This role has been one of the most special journeys as an actor. It represents a lot in my life because it came at the right time…it helped me reconnect with my childhood, which is something very special. It's really nice to be back.”

After proclaiming “I’ve been in this fight since I was six years old” in Rogue One, we now understand the quotable quote on a deeper level after witnessing Cassian, the Kenari refugee, survive among a tribe of youngsters before being rescued and raised by Maarva and Clem Andor. “He's been migrating,” Luna says. “He's a refugee, you know, he can't go back to where he belongs. This story is going to tell us what he left behind because that is really important in his journey.”

That reflection of the character’s cultural heritage also holds a mirror to real-life experiences in the Latin American community, especially among Mexican-born Americans. “I think about the relation between Latin America and the [United] States and that huge border that separates Mexico from the States,” Luna says. “That energy is going to be represented in Cassian's journey. The strength of community -- that's what this story is about! It's about people that, by themselves, they can't do anything. They don't have Jedi powers. They're just regular people.” But by pulling together, “they find their strength, and that to me is a beautiful thing to say today when communities need to step up. We seem to be so alienated from each other that we have to go back to find out…What's going to save you, you know? I think that message is beautiful to send and this series is sending it. It has a connection with the world out there.”

Hear more from Diego Luna in a special interview in the latest episode of This Week! In Star Wars below.

For more on Andor A Star Wars Story, explore more StarWars.com features, including:

Behind the Scenes:

Secrets from the Set of Andor Season 2: Week 3 Trivia

Secrets from the Set of Andor Season 2: Week 2 Trivia

Secrets from the Set of Andor Season 2: Week 1 Trivia

The Costumes of Andor Season 2 - Updated Weekly

Creating the Worlds of Andor Season 2 - Updated Weekly

Introducing the Cast of Andor Season 2 - Updated Weekly

The Cast of Andor Can’t Wait for You to See Season 2

Taking Andor from Concept to Screen

Designer Michael Wilkinson Defines the Look of Andor's Costumes

Taking Andor from Concept to Screen

“A Potent Moment in History”: Insights from Tony Gilroy and the Andor Cast

How Composer Nicholas Britell Created New Sounds for Andor

Character Deep-Dives:

Who Is Cassian Andor?

Genevieve O’Reilly on the Legacy of Mon Mothma

Losing Bix: Andor’s Adria Arjona on the Downward Spiral of Bix Caleen

The Tragedy of Kino Loy: Andy Serkis on His Return to Star Wars in Andor

Denise Gough and Kyle Soller Bring Complexity to Andor’s Empire

Daughter of Ferrix: Andor’s Fiona Shaw on the Role of Cassian’s Mother, Maarva

Star Diego Luna on Returning to Cassian in Andor

Andor’s Ben Bailey Smith on Playing Lieutenant Blevin

Season 1 Recap:

6 Things We Learned from the Andor Live Stream with Tony Gilroy

Andor Revisited: Small Acts of Rebellion - Exploring the Fourth Arc of Season 1

Andor Revisited: One Way Out - Exploring the Third Arc of Season 1

Andor Revisited: The Making of a Rebel - Exploring the Second Arc of Season 1

Andor Revisited: Meet Cassian Andor - Exploring the First Arc of Season 1

Creator Tony Gilroy Explores the Nuance of Andor

Tony Gilroy Breaks Down Andor Season 1


  • These aren't the droids you're looking for - Disney+

Associate Editor Kristin Baver is the author of the book Skywalker: A Family At War, host of This Week! In Star Wars, and an all-around sci-fi nerd who always has just one more question in an inexhaustible list of curiosities. Sometimes she blurts out “It’s a trap!” even when it’s not. Follow her on Twitter @KristinBaver.

Related Topics

Interviews Cassian Andor (Star Wars) Diego Luna Disney+ ThisWeek Andor

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