Tony Gilroy on the Religious Parallels in Andor and Casting Andy Serkis

In an interview with the YouТube channel #StruggleNation, Tony Gilroy discussed how Andor episodes 8 through 10, the prison arc, are a metaphor for religion, plus the thought process behind casting Andy Serkis as Kino Loy.



Within Andor's umbrella narrative of the impact of Imperial tyranny and the creation of an uprising, there was a wealth of commentary on a variety of contemporary issues, from corporate greed and apathetic politicians to police brutality. Even Dedra Meero’s arc begins with parallels to the struggles women face in the workplace. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that Gilroy would use the show to question another societal cornerstone: religion.



Speaking about Serkis’ charisma and how he was cast in the role, Gilroy said:

As widely respected as Andy Serkis is, his casting in Andor was in some ways a risky choice. He already played a part in Star Wars as Snoke, in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, although the two roles are very different. He’s also expensive, as Gilroy alluded to, and the role of Kino Loy likely would not translate into any measurable upward trajectory for his career that he didn’t already have. Despite this, Gilroy’s vision and persistence paid off, and there is already buzz the actor could get nominated for an Emmy this year. Serkis’ performance maintained Andor’s momentum after the Aldhani heist and triggered a chorus of “one way out!” across the Internet.



Kino Loy (Andy Serkis) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



Asked about the significance of Kino Loy, Gilroy explained:

Swept up in Serkis’ performance, this religious deeper meaning did not reveal itself to me at the time, but episode 10 likely would not have impacted fans the same way had Loy not been a believer. If the character we met in episode 8 was a dejected cynic who had given up all hope or a fiery realist, like Melshi, ready to spring into escape plans at the first notice, we'd lose out on a pivotal character transformation. As much as fans wanted Cassian to escape, it was Loy’s line of “I can’t swim” that truly broke all our hearts.



Andor season 2 is currently filming in multiple points across the UK, and could also be shooting in Valencia, Spain. It is expected to premiere in the late summer/early fall of 2024. Check out the full interview here.



Click HERE to check out and comment on this topic on our main site