Mon Mothma is one of the iconic Star Wars characters making their return in Andor. Played by Genevieve O’Reilly, the show explores Mon Mothma’s early days in the Rebellion, giving insight into how she navigated the Empire’s political landscape.
This week’s episode, in particular, reveals the life she had at home away from all the politics. It is revealed that her husband is in cahoots with some of the Empire’s most questionable personnel, much to her frustration. We spoke with O’Reilly, and asked what she thought of this brand new examination of such an important Star Wars character:
Isn’t it interesting that we usually see Mon Mothma surrounding by rebels in a bunker? Where we meet her now is so polar opposite to any position we’ve seen her in before. She’s living and working within the imperial senate but not only that, her husband is clearly a card-carrying paid-up member of that Empire. We know that she’s been a senator since she was 16 years old. That comes with some serious constructs. We know her has a woman with a voice and an advocate for democracy. But really, how much of a voice did you have at 16? What is the structure of the life you stepped into as a senator at 16? What choices did she have? What’s interesting in Tony’s version when we meet her in her home life is you go, “What choices has this woman ever had?”
It’ll be interesting to see just how Mon Mothma’s home life plays out given how she eventually rises to lead the Rebellion a couple of years from Andor. Her husband’s fate will be one to watch out for when he realizes his wife is working for the Empire’s enemy. Will he rat Mon out? How will he find out? One of Andor’s biggest strengths is its willingness to ask these questions and that makes for incredible Star Wars storytelling.
