Star Wars: Andor actor compares show to the Trump era

Star Wars Andor: looks like it will be a highly political show, exploring colonialism, insurgencies and political intrigue in the Senate. And this is purposeful by the cast and crew, with Diego Luna and Tony Gilroy already hinting at what the show will explore. But perhaps the biggest hint has come from actress Fiona Shaw. She has already mentioned the show will be socially realist, but in a recent interview she goes further.

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Fiona Shaw explains the show’s contemporary importance.

“Tony has written a great, scurrilous [take] on the Trumpian world,” says Fiona Shaw, who plays Maarva in the series. “Our world is exploding in different places right now, people’s rights are disappearing, and Andor reflects that. [In the show] the Empire is taking over, and it feels like the same thing is happening in reality, too.”

“I was impressed by Tony’s social-realist intentions,” Shaw continues. “He’s created a whole new morality. It’s very deep and humane – there is grief, mourning, hope, fear. It’s not just primary colours here.”

The idea that Andor will use its story to criticise modern day America follows a long Star Wars tradition. George Lucas used the original trilogy to criticise what he saw as American imperialism in the Vietnam War, even going so far as to compare Palpatine to Richard Nixon. The prequel trilogy is a long look at how a democracy can slide into a dictatorship. With this context in mind, Tony Gilroy using the Empire to criticise Donald Trump’s tenure as President isn’t as outrageous as it first sounds.

Andor will debut on September 21st, with three episodes to start the show. The show seeks to explore the origins of the Rebel Alliance, following both the revolutionaries on the ground and the socialites in the political arena.