Andor finally arrives tomorrow with a three-episode premiere, and while we don't want to get into any major spoilers, we were granted a second opportunity to sit down with actress Adria Arjona (Morbius; Triple Frontier) to talk about her pivotal role as Bix Caleen, an original character created exclusively for this latest Star Wars series.
Bix is one of Cassian Andor's (Diego Luna) most trusted confidantes, so expect her to have an extremely important role throughout the season. However, as you'll all soon learn, despite her history with the Rogue One hero, they aren't romantically linked when we meet them and she'll have a lot more on her mind when the series picks up than worrying about what's going on with Cassian.
In our second interview with the actress, she elaborates on Bix's personal quest for vengeance, the pressures of joining the Star Wars universe, working with her all-star cast and a whole lot more.
Check out both of our video interviews below and please remember to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!
ROHAN: Did you feel any pressure entering the Star Wars universe as an original character like Bix or did playing a character created specifically for this series actually make your experience a little easier?
ADRIA: I guess - I'm not so sure because that wasn’t my case, so maybe I felt more relaxed because it was a new character, and I can sort of create her and come in with certain angles that I really wanted to. Also, it was really cool that Tony Gilroy, who wrote and created all of this was the person that I was talking to almost every day about Bix or how to play her, and so that was cool. I think I felt pressure in the prep, or when I was told I was going to be in Star Wars. I think you feel a certain pressure, but once you start sort of doing it, I think we only have to make service to the story.
ROHAN: Through the first four episodes, Bix undergoes a lot and we know there's a lot more to come. What do you hope will be the biggest takeaway from where we meet her in episode one to where we'll ultimately leave her in episode twelve?
ADRIA: I think Bix goes through a lot. In the first three episodes, you'll realize just how complex her journey is, or will be. I think you feel it in even the first episode when you see her and she's got everything going for her. She's got everything put together, she's completely stable, has a running business, is in a relationship, and then Cassian sort of comes in and you meet them and you can tell that they have a complicated relationship and you can see sort of Bix struggling with, you know, helping a dear friend and someone she loves and trusts, and she does so and she does so knowing that it's going to be at her own detriment, but I think that's her definition of bravery.
ROHAN: This is such a massive production, and it very much feels like a real space opera - what was it like working and developing chemistry with this amazing cast of Diego Luna, Genevieve O'Reilly, Stellan Skarsgard, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Fion Shaw?
ADRIA: All the storylines are sort of intertwined, and, you know, a lot of us do get to play with each other and others don't - and we were also filming in the middle of a pandemic, so it was kind of great because we really stuck to our version of each storyline really, you only played with the people you actually played in and now, watching the show, and now watching the trailer, I'm just so excited to see all these brilliant actors shine because I didn't really get to see them on set.
We would see each other off-set, in the trailers and stuff, and everyone is just so sweet and talented and we would sort of talk about our scenes and stuff, but now we get to hang out promoting the show and stuff. Everyone is really lovely, and focused and determined for the show to be the best version that it can be. So yeah, but we didn’t have - Ωnot all of us sort of were in one room truly, ever until until now.
ROHAN: I've seen the first four episodes, and it really feels like every character has something to prove this season, especially after episode three. No spoilers, but I have a feeling Bix will be highly motivated after that episode - what would you say her goals will be for the rest of the season?
ADRIA: Oh god, I wish I could talk about it so much more in-depth and I hope maybe when we can have a conversation when it all airs after, but I think Bix’s goal really starts off to really continue her hard work and continue her business, which is her sell yard, and the stability that she sort of found in the community, and everything with her trading system and stuff.
Then, sort of Cassian comes along and, like he always does, sort of shifts things around, and I think Bix is incredibly caring and incredibly protective over Cassian, and sometimes that could be to her own detriment, and what then takes that course, it'll be something that'll be a little bit of a surprise for everyone, and I'm excited for everyone to watch.
ROHAN: There is quite a bit of backstory between Bix and Cassian, so what should we expect from that relationship moving forward, and what was it like working with Diego Luna as a scene partner?
ADRIA: He's amazing, because he's lived within this character for so many years by now, you know, he did the movie, and he understands the character and got to explore it and sort of in the development process of creating this series, as a producer, and as an actor, with Tony. So, he was almost like a pot of information that I had with me at all times, so was Tony - Tony was always so accessible to me, I always felt very comfortable texting him or calling him about a question.
But with Diego, it was really cool, because I got to ask him a bunch of questions about what he thought Cassian would have done a couple years before or where our origin sort of started, and what exactly is our dynamic, leading up to that specific first scene that you see them together. So, that was really quite nice, he's a really generous scene partner and a very kind human, so it was really easy to work with him, and a lot of fun. He's funny.
ROHAN: You've starred in a number of big films - Morbius, 6 Underground, Triple Frontier, which is a really awesome movie - did your experiences on those projects help prepare you for joining this massive Star Wars universe?
ADRIA: It's unlike anything I've ever done, or I think I will ever truly do. I think the scale of this, I feel it when I'm on set, I feel like I'm a part of something that's so much bigger than me, and I know you can even feel it from the trailer itself, and definitely you'll feel it when you watch the entire series. Yeah, I think everything, I think nothing is a coincidence. I think all these roles have sort of prepared me for this specific one, and even though I was so nervous, I had something in me saying like, “Hey, you deserve to be here, you've worked really hard. You earned this part or this place in this world.,” and I had learned so much along the way, just about even dynamics on set, or even how camera works or understanding different departments on set, and then really getting to explore them here. I think the production design is out of this world and really getting to talk to some of them and hear them now and you're just like in a constant learning experience, but yeah, I think anything that that you do sort of prepares you for something.
ROHAN: Tony Gilroy is an extremely accomplished screenwriter, who has this very unique vision for this two-season Andor story. What was your dynamic with him? Did you discuss Bix's entire 24-episode arc from the start or did you learn more about the character as you received each script?
ADRIA: No, he's really - and I would be surprised. That's one of the things that surprised me the most about being a part of this show was having information. I really thought that I would sign on to this show and sort of be completely blinded or blindsided by every script. So, I was like, I really need to develop this character myself and just be ready for whatever it is that's coming my way and it actually ended up being the complete opposite.
The second I signed on, without scripts being ready, even five months before we started filming, I knew exactly what my character was going to go through, and exactly what beats really I needed to focus on, and then I got the scripts, and then I was like, “Oh, this is now what I'm working with.” Tony really understands the importance of information and sharing information with your creative partners, with your actors, right? I think the more information we have, we could do a better job and understand the world better. So, that was that was really surprising and amazing on his behalf, because we're never going to spoil it, you know? We're never going to do that! If you're in it, all you want to do is protect the fan’s experience, and he understands that very well.
ROHAN: Since this is set before the events of both Rogue One and the original trilogy, there are a lot of major Star Wars characters that are very much alive during this time period. Is there anyone you'd like Bix to meet?
ADRIA: Yoda! I gotta say Yoda, imagine that conversation, like how much can I learn? How much advice could Yoda give Bix? We could only imagine.
The “Andor” series explores a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It is an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.