Andor exited the 2025 Emmy nominations with 14 nods spanning Outstanding Drama Series, directing, writing, cinematography, sound design, visual effects, voiceover work from Alan Tudyk, and more. Yet the anticipation of key acting nods was dashed as only Forest Whitaker secured a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Saw Gerrera, while lead actor Diego Luna was inexplicably snubbed.
Whitaker’s nomination marks Star Wars’ rare Television Academy recognition in acting, even if confined to a guest slot. His performance as Gerrera landed with Rogue One fans and proved impactful enough to earn acknowledgment from the Emmy powers-that-be this year.
Cassian Andor, however, anchors the show, and many felt that Luna absolutely deserved to be recognized in the Outstanding Lead Actor category. This omission particularly stings given his series-defining performance and the show’s critical acclaim.
Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal, arguably Star Wars TV’s most prominent face (ironic, given the fact that we don’t see his face until the final episode of season 1), has never been Emmy-nominated for his iconic turn in The Mandalorian, even as the show received six Primetime Emmy nominations and an astonishing 42 Creative Arts nods—yet, Pascal earned only technical category consideration.
His Emmy success came later, for The Last of Us, for which he is again nominated this year, somewhat controversially given Luna’s snub.
Comparing Across the Franchise
The Mandalorian received no acting nominations for Pascal or Giancarlo Esposito, despite winning 14 total Emmy awards.
Obi-Wan Kenobi secured five nods, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, but still no Emmy love for Ewan McGregor’s Jedi Master.
Ahsoka, which received five Primetime Emmy nominations and won a Saturn Award for Rosario Dawson, also hasn’t seen nods in acting categories, despite speculation to the contrary.
In 2023, Star Wars shows collectively earned 22 Emmy nominations, yet there were no acting acknowledgments across Andor, The Mandalorian, or Obi-Wan.
Genre bias continues to hamper Star Wars’ Emmy chances. Even with ground-level storytelling and rich characterization, major acting category recognition remains elusive for sci-fi series. Andor largely reframes science fiction as political drama, but the Academy apparently remains unmoved, except for Whitaker’s Cameo nod.
With The Mandalorian headed to the big screen, and few notable series on the horizon for the galaxy far, far away, it certainly begs the question, “Was Andor Lucasfilm’s last chance to win a Lead Actor Emmy?”
The short answer is, “Not necessarily.”
All eyes turn to Ahsoka Season 2, which may be Star Wars' next best hope for an acting Emmy Award. A breakthrough there could reopen doors, but only if Ahsoka leans deeper into drama and less into spectacle.
While the first season of Ahsoka brought beloved Rebels characters into live action and offered impressive visuals (hello, purrgil!) and lore expansion, it simply didn’t deliver the emotional weight needed for top-tier awards recognition. To truly compete, Ahsoka’s sophomore season must evolve beyond the fan-service of bringing Thrawn, Ezra Bridger, et al into live-action.
Dawson’s portrayal of the former Jedi needs to enter deeper territory as she grapples with the loss of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and what her legacy really is. Unless that tonal shift happens effectively, even the franchise’s most promising contender for acting awards may fall short.
Andor may have peaked Star Wars' chances for acting acclaim in the near future, yet 14 nominations is certainly something for the team to be proud of. Star Wars found respect at the Emmys, but only around its edges. The main characters will have to continue waiting in the wings for a major acting win.
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