Two gifted Irish women are currently playing on opposite sides of empire and rebellion in the tense and tightly written concluding season of "Andor," the "Star Wars" galaxy saga now showing on Disney+.
Genevieve O'Reilly, 47, plays Senator Mon Mothma, an outwardly placid colonial leader who is secretly planning a rebellion against the evil galactic empire.
Her opposite in the fight is Dedra Meero, a lieutenant in the Imperial Security Bureau, played by Denise Gough,45.
On the surface, O'Reilly's character must remain a picture of calm, but the danger that her secret plans continually put her in allow flashes of terror to reach her eyes.
Meero also wears an inscrutable public mask, but her neutrality merely hides her true ambitions and her contempt for her rivals.
Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) in Lucasfilm's ANDOR Season 2, exclusively on Disney+. (©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM)
The casting of these two Irish women on opposite sides is inspired because if ever a nation has been forced to explore the two faces of empire – that lethal dance between oppressors and the oppressed – it's Ireland, which may account for the unexpectedly visceral dramatic stakes that these two gifted actors bring to their unforgettable performances.
In season one, the celebrated Irish actress Fiona Shaw also joined them onscreen, playing the part of a colonial leader who was slowly radicalized by the growing imperial brutality she saw all around her. First, she thought they could be contained, then she saw that total domination was their real agenda, and an uprising to resit them was the only course.
Fiona Shaw plays a reluctant revolutionary in Andor
Irish people watching "Andor" will have a special insight into the political cross-currents that make up this imaginary but strangely real galaxy far, far away. The casting of so many prominent Irish actors in a tale of galactic rebellion has been no accident.
On its surface, the show - a prequel to "Rogue One," which was a prequel to "A New Hope" - tells the story of the sad-eyed and half-defeated Cassian Andor, played with remarkable investment by Diego Luna. The question the show asks is one to trouble our own times: how much of your freedom will you surrender for security?
Having seen the entire second season, I can give this spoiler-free assessment of what's to come: the critically acclaimed show is heading toward a dramatic, satisfying, and surprisingly moving conclusion with the help of these two Irish stars playing key roles.
Born in Dublin, Genevieve O'Reilly is now based in London with her husband and two children and is best known for her "Star Wars" roles.
Wexford native Denise Gough is best known for her turns on Broadway (she was Tony-nominated for "Angels in America") and for her long association with the plays of Irish playwright Marina Carr.
"Andor" season two is now streaming on Disney+.
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