For those watching the new Star Wars series, the appearance of Andy Serkis in Andor episode 8 was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. The actor has already played a major villain in the Star Wars movies, but he’s back for more as a new Star Wars character, and here’s why.
You’d think that having already taken on the role of a movie villain in the science fiction movie franchise, Serkis would be unable to feature in Star Wars again. But, the beauty of his role as Supreme Leader Snoke is that he did that using motion-capture technology, so no one actually saw his face.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Serkis explained why he took the role and gave a little backstory for his new character.
“It’s a difficult one because I’m sure [a Snoke origin is] exactly what people will think. And why would they think other? I was a bit confused as to whether to do it or not, but it was purely because I love Rogue One. I truly loved the grounding of that film in a world which felt both real and yet still felt epic,” Serkis said.
“What I imagined of Kino’s backstory, before he was in prison, was that he was a union leader. He’s used to working as a foreman. I wanted him to come from a place where he was put in prison for, perhaps, standing up for workers’ rights, and then put into a position of authority because that’s what he does. He is a natural leader. But he really just wants to serve his time. He’s got a family,” he added.
Whatever his motivations, we’re never going to complain about seeing Andy Serkis back in the Star Wars cast. Judging by his new role and the fact Cassian is set to be in prison for six years, we expect to see a lot more of Serkis and his Kino Loy character in the next episodes of Andor.
For more information about the hit sci-fi series, check out our guide to the Andor filming locations. Or take a dive into Serkis’ other franchise work with our guide to the Lord of the Rings movies.