“Andor” is full to the brim with great actors, including Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Andy Serkis, Denise Gough, and Fiona Shaw. But one performer who has gone under the radar is Genevieve O’Reilly, who returns to a galaxy far, far away once again to play Mon Mothma.
“Andor” follows Luna’ titular Cassian Andor in this spin-off of the spin-off movie “Rogue One,” as we learn how Cassian went from scoundrel to key part of the Rebel Alliance. O’Reilly plays Senator Mon Mothma, who is in a rich position of power and privilege and tries to use her wealth and influence to secretly undermine the Empire and help the Rebel Alliance.
In this role, we get to see O’Reilly as the grand Senator who charms her colleagues and fellow Senators. But we also get to see her as a frightened mother, a troubled citizen, and a “Game of Thrones”-like strategist trying to make plans to stop the Empire. It’s a great role for O’Reilly, who captures all sides of the complex character with aplomb. Her tense scenes trying to negotiate a deal, which involves giving her daughter’s hand in marriage to a suitor, are a highlight of the series. No one sums up the complexities and moral greyness of a rebellion quite like O’Reilly’s Mothma. Critics all agree, she is a stand-out.
Corey Larson (Screen Rant) explained: “Her revelatory performance proves that George Lucas clearly recognized how Mon Mothma had the potential to be a pivotal and popular figure in ‘Star Wars’ lore and that O’Reilly was the perfect candidate for the job… Genevieve O’Reilly takes full advantage of her chance to shine in ‘Andor’ episode 7, proving that Lucas had cast the perfect actress to bring Mon Mothma to life all those years ago.” He continued: “Almost none of what Mothma does in ‘Andor’ is what it seems—which makes it all the more thrilling to watch and decipher her actions. This highlights the extent of O’Reilly’s acting abilities and George Lucas’ earlier recognition of her talents.”
Simon Cardy (IGN) observed: “Playing the proxy for the audience for stretches of Andor is Mon Mothma – someone advocating for positive change in the world but often finding herself drowned out by the shouts of the oppressors. This is thanks largely to the humanity that Genevieve O’Reilly brings to the role. Her scenes in the heart of Imperial-controlled Coruscant add an almost ‘Game of Thrones’-like edge of political intrigue to proceedings as she attempts to play people off of one another while remaining undetected as a rebel sympathizer.”
David Craig (Radio Times) wrote: “Genevieve O’Reilly makes a welcome return as fringe ‘Return of the Jedi’ character Mon Mothma, who compels as a besieged senator desperately fanning the surviving embers of freedom in the galaxy.”
However, despite the positive critical and fan reception to her performance, O’Reilly remains outside of our predicted eight nominees for Best Drama Supporting Actress. Currently, we think these stars will be nominated instead: Carol Burnett (“Better Call Saul”), Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”), Christina Ricci (“Yellowjackets”), J. Smith-Cameron (“Succession”), Aubrey Plaza (“The White Lotus”), Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”), Rhea Seehorn (“Better Call Saul”), and Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”). But don’t worry, “Star Wars” fans, O’Reilly could sneak her way into this line-up just yet.
If she did, she would not only earn her first-ever Emmy bid but the first-ever major awards nomination of her entire career. And that’s the crux of it — O’Reilly is a talented actress who is only just now, in her 40s, receiving the sort of limelight that her talent has always warranted. Happily, however, in recent times, the Emmys have rewarded actresses of a similar kind, particularly in the supporting categories. Hannah Waddingham, who had made a name for herself as a theatre actress early in her career, finally earned some TV love when she won Best Supporting Comedy Actress in 2021 for “Ted Lasso” and earned the same nomination the following year (losing to Sheryl Lee Ralph for “Abbott Elementary”). Similarly, Smith-Cameron had found success as a theatre actress in the states but hadn’t received the TV attention she deserved until she was nominated last year for Best Drama Supporting Actress for “Succession” (losing to Julia Garner for “Ozark”).
Alex Borstein won an Emmy for voicing Lois in “Family Guy” but didn’t receive the same love for her live-action work until she starred in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” For that show, she was nominated four times for Best Comedy Supporting Actress, winning in 2018 and 2019. And Lisa Ann Walter is in the same boat as O’Reilly — she is only just getting the recognition she deserves. We predict she will be nominated for Best Comedy Supporting Actress for “Abbott Elementary.” O’Reilly could well join these performers as actors who have always had steady work but needed that break out role in live-action TV to finally earn the love they deserve and launch their careers to the next level. Mon Mothma is that role for O’Reilly.
Yes, O’Reilly has played Mon Mothma several times before, but her role in “Andor” is her meatiest as the character yet across all appearances. We finally get to see her flesh the role out. But the fact that she is appeared several times as Mon Mothma only helps her. She first appeared in the role in “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” before voicing the role in the animated series “Rebels” and then featuring in “Rogue One” and, now, “Andor.” She will also appear in the upcoming Disney+ series “Ahsoka.” O’Reilly has been a faithful servant to “Star Wars” and has rocked up and delivered whenever she has been needed. An Emmy nomination here would be a big “thank you” for her years of service in a galaxy far, far away.
What really helps, though, is the love surrounding “Andor.” The show is touted as the best “Star Wars” series yet and has a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. That has led the show to be heavily involved in our drama predictions. Currently, we think the show will be nominated for Best Drama Series, Best Drama Guest Actress for Shaw, and Best Drama Guest Actor for Serkis. The show is also on the precipice of several other nominations, including Best Drama Actor for Luna, Best Drama Supporting Actor for Skarsgård, and Best Drama Supporting Actress for both O’Reilly and Gough. The show is also likely to pick up a bunch of below-the-line nominations, too. If voters really take to “Andor,” O’Reilly could get swept along for the ride.
And don’t worry about O’Reilly having to compete with her co-star Gough in this category. Emmy voters have shown that they aren’t afraid to double up and nominate two or more stars from the same show in the same category. In this category, Smith-Cameron and Sarah Snook earned nominations last year for “Succession” (losing to Garner for “Ozark”), while 2021 featured a host of repeated bids. Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, Yvonne Strahovski, and Samira Wiley all garnered nominations for “The Handmaid’s Tale” while Gillian Anderson, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emerald Fennell were all nominated for “The Crown,” with Anderson winning. And, in 2020, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep both reaped bids for “Big Little Lies,” although they, too, lost to Garner for “Ozark.” Again, if “Andor” is a big hit with voters, O’Reilly could be a beneficiary here.
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