Andy Serkis joins us to talk about his character Kino Loy in the Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Andor.” He discusses returning to the “Star Wars” franchise, whether Kino Loy is at all related to Snoke, the possibility of him returning as Snoke to tell more of that story and more.
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00:00 I just didn't want to compound any further confusion
00:04 about Snoke theories by adding another character
00:08 who people might think he was related to in some way.
00:10 - Are you all scrambled or something?
00:12 It takes a week for one word to get all the way up here
00:15 and you're panicking about something that's happening
00:17 on the other side of the building.
00:19 How many hands does it take for one word
00:23 to get through up here?
00:25 - I've honestly believed that Andor
00:26 is some of the best Star Wars
00:28 that they've made since the Disney acquisition.
00:32 And I said that after three episodes,
00:34 I had no clue how much better it was going to get.
00:37 - It's been such a joy coming back into the universe.
00:41 You know, we're playing a completely different character.
00:43 And I really was a big fan of "Rogue One"
00:48 and I knew Tony Gilroy as a great storyteller
00:52 and a great director and writer.
00:54 So when he talked to me about the possibility
00:56 of coming back on board, I was thrilled.
00:59 And, you know, every single character
01:02 that Cassian meets along his way
01:05 is really filled three-dimensionally.
01:07 You know, they all have such clear,
01:10 or actually not clear, complex and murky,
01:13 but very fulfilling functions within the storytelling.
01:19 And Keno Loy was no exception.
01:21 And I really, really, you know, enjoyed,
01:24 when Tony was telling me about it,
01:26 I really enjoyed what was going to be my challenge.
01:29 And then consequently filming it was terrific.
01:32 - Additionally, I would love to give Toby Haynes
01:35 all the "Star Wars" moving forward.
01:37 He seems to have such a passion for the material.
01:40 What's he like as a collaborator?
01:42 - He's amazing.
01:43 I mean, he really is a fantastic director.
01:45 And like you say, he's so passionate about it.
01:48 And he just, I mean, he had a huge task
01:53 sort of making this his own.
01:55 And boy, did he do that.
01:57 And especially on, well, I think, you know,
01:59 in the three, you know, the episode arc
02:01 that I was involved in, you know,
02:04 the three episode arc that I was involved in,
02:05 you know, it was very, very complex.
02:10 And it had to go between all of the different storylines,
02:13 but then just Narkina Five and the prison ship
02:16 all on its own was such a big undertaking, scale-wise.
02:20 And to have all of the individual characters' stories,
02:23 you know, told within that,
02:24 he did such a brilliant job.
02:25 So I agree.
02:27 - Andy, it's remarkable the amount of information
02:30 we learn about your character
02:31 in such a short amount of time.
02:33 And it makes me wish that we knew so much more about him,
02:36 you know, leading into it.
02:37 How much of that backstory do you even know?
02:39 - Well, I mean, I sort of created a version
02:43 of the backstory for myself,
02:45 because I wanted to know who this man was
02:48 before he became incarcerated.
02:51 And so I figured he was like a, you know,
02:54 he was a foreman, you know,
02:56 who would stand up for workers' rights
02:59 and was a bit of a firebrand, very outspoken.
03:02 And then the Empire would have seen him
03:06 as someone who was good at galvanizing men,
03:08 but didn't like his outspokenness
03:11 and would have incarcerated him,
03:13 but then used his skills.
03:15 And I think at the point where he, you know,
03:17 he's got a family,
03:18 he's a regular sort of stand-up guy, I think.
03:22 And then actually, as soon as he goes into prison,
03:25 I think he loses touch with himself
03:27 and becomes very hardened very quickly
03:29 and just wants to keep his head down
03:31 and, you know, make it through.
03:33 And all he's thinking about is getting out.
03:35 And he therefore loses touch with his sort of,
03:40 his ability to care for others
03:42 and to think bigger than just beyond himself.
03:45 And so I think he becomes quite selfish.
03:46 And then, you know,
03:48 then when he rams up against Cassian,
03:50 who sort of reignites his desire
03:54 to think and serve others beyond himself,
03:58 that's really where the arc changes for him.
04:01 And, you know, he finally, you know,
04:04 makes a great sacrifice.
04:06 - And given your history with the franchise,
04:09 was it just strange to get the call
04:11 to come back and play in the sandbox?
04:13 - It really was.
04:14 I was so surprised.
04:15 I mean, you know,
04:17 I just didn't want to compound any further confusion
04:21 about Snoke theories by adding another character
04:25 who people might think he was related to in some way.
04:27 So I was sort of slightly trepidatious, if you like,
04:31 but actually, you know,
04:33 once I talked to Tony about it
04:35 and I just thought, "Oh, you know what?
04:36 Why not?"
04:37 You know, this is such a delicious character to play.
04:41 So I took the plunge.
04:44 - All right.
04:45 And because Klaw is one of my favorite MCU characters,
04:49 if Marvel were to call
04:50 with a completely different character,
04:52 would you give it a listen?
04:53 - Hey, you know, I love both universes, of course.
04:57 And that's the great thing
05:00 about performance capture as well.
05:01 You know, it allows you to completely
05:04 become something else, transform,
05:07 and how you manifest on screen is limitless.
05:11 So that's why I've always adored it
05:15 as a 21st century tool for an actor,
05:17 because it really does enable you
05:19 to thoroughly kind of investigate
05:22 and completely become something other than yourself.
05:26 - So did you find yourself
05:27 with a remarkable amount of downtime on the set of Andor
05:30 that you didn't have to prep for motion capture at all?
05:33 - Oh, far from it.
05:34 It was really stressful
05:36 because that set was so demanding.
05:38 You know, we were often...
05:41 It wasn't like you could go
05:42 and sit down anywhere particularly,
05:43 or, you know, have your bag with all your things in,
05:47 or, you know, it was really desensitizing, that set.
05:50 Walking around in bare feet on those metal floors.
05:53 You know, there was no comfort in it whatsoever.
05:56 It really got inside your head,
05:58 which is exactly why it was designed like that.
06:01 So there was no kind of space to kind of retreat to.
06:05 It was such a great design, but it really did,
06:08 it really messed with your head.
06:09 And yeah, so for the weeks that we were shooting it,
06:13 it sort of had a very, very powerful effect
06:16 on keeping you on edge, I guess.
06:19 - The parts that the teams are working on,
06:21 do you think that those are mechanisms
06:23 that eventually become part of the Death Star?
06:25 - Well, without giving anything away,
06:27 you know, I think absolutely that,
06:31 obviously the prison, the inmates
06:33 have no idea what they're making,
06:34 but I think for the discerning eye,
06:38 I think there's a strong possibility
06:40 that they could be used for some nefarious activity.
06:44 - The irony of that is delicious,
06:46 and it's one of the beautiful things
06:47 about the different layers of this show
06:49 that I find so fantastic.
06:52 Of course, Andor is a prequel
06:53 that's giving us a chance to dive deeper
06:55 into a character that we fell in love with
06:57 in another setting.
06:59 But do you also think that you could do the same for Snoke
07:01 as a character who we caught up with very early on?
07:03 Is it possible that they could do a Disney+ series?
07:06 Would you even be interested in exploring that possibility?
07:09 - 100%.
07:10 I mean, there's so much more to be had out of Snoke.
07:13 I think he's a fascinating character,
07:15 and I'll never forget the day of reading Ryan's script
07:20 and getting halfway through and going,
07:23 "This is going so well for Snoke.
07:25 I'm loving the way this character's going."
07:26 And then, "Oh no!
07:28 No, you can't!"
07:29 You know?
07:30 So that was one of the most kind of undercutting moments
07:36 of the experience.
07:40 But yes, so yes, in answer, yes.
07:43 Please bring back Snoke.
07:45 I love Snoke.
07:46 - Undercutting, no pun intended, of course.
07:48 (laughing)
07:49 All right, I'll get you out of here on this.
07:51 The exciting news that Kelly Marcel is coming back
07:53 to direct "The Third Venom."
07:55 Terrific collaborator and a great storyteller.
07:57 I was wondering,
07:58 did you ever consider the gig at all, though?
08:00 - To be honest,
08:04 I loved working with them on that movie,
08:06 but I've got so many projects that are lined up
08:08 that I've had in development
08:11 and actually put to one side to direct "Venom."
08:14 So with "Animal Farm" coming up
08:17 and a number, a slew of other projects
08:19 that I have been working on for such a long time,
08:22 to spend another couple of years,
08:24 that would have been a big ask.
08:27 But I mean, I'm so excited for her to do it
08:30 'cause she knows that world so well now, obviously.
08:33 And I think with her and Tom working hand in glove,
08:38 I'm really excited to see what they're gonna do.
08:40 (upbeat music)