Diego Luna (‘Andor’) poised to make Emmy history for ‘Star Wars’ franchise

Jacob Sarkisian
·6 min read
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“Andor” swiftly became the most critically successful “Star Wars” TV show when it aired on Disney+ last year — and showrunner Tony Gilroy and lead actor Diego Luna will hope to turn this success into some cold, hard Emmy nominations this year.

“Andor” is the spin-off TV series of the spin-off movie “Rogue One,” which also starred Luna and had its script co-written by Gilroy along with Chris Weitz, John Knoll, and Gary Whitta. The series takes place before “Rogue One” and tells the tale of how Luna’s titular Cassian Andor transformed from a scoundrel trying to get through the galaxy into one of the most important figures in the rebellion against the Empire.

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As Andor, Luna portrays him as something of an anti-hero — a gruff, selfish loner who only looks out for himself and has no interest in helping out the Rebel Alliance. Over the course of the series, however, the character arc comes through and Andor becomes a reluctant leader in the prison story run that demonstrates why he later joined the Rebel Alliance. Luna’s Andor is resilient, determined, wiley, and a force to be reckoned with, critics agree.

Simon Cardy (IGN) explained: “Weirdly for the star of the show, Diego Luna is almost the unsung hero of ‘Andor.’ He’s the glue that holds the series together – crucial in driving the plot forwards at all times, but often letting others take center stage in big moments. The subtle but highly effective acting he regularly produces from a single look on his face often tells us more about Cassian than his words. Luna does a fantastic job displaying genuine character development in tangible ways, whether it be through more confident actions or the way he interacts with his many different cast mates.”

Brian Tallerico (Roger Ebert) observed: “Luna is particularly good, never overplaying the pretentious possibilities of a future hero. He clearly sees this as a character study that happens to be set in space instead of a part of a growing canon, and that realism grounds the entire piece.”

Bradley Russell (Games Rader) commented: “The prison break lived up to the hype – all thanks to strong, commanding performances from Andy Serkis and Diego Luna… The show has been efficient with its quick and quiet moments, but here it’s amplified by the magnetic performances from Andy Serkis’ reluctant Kino and Diego Luna’s Andor, who has slowly grown into his leadership role.”

This critical reception, as well as the overwhelming fan love, has given Luna a decent shot at landing a nomination for Best Drama Actor this year. Currently, however, he sits outside of our predicted six nominees: Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”), Brian Cox (“Succession”), Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”), Kieran Culkin (“Succession”), Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”), and Jeremy Strong (“Succession”). However, Luna is on the precipice of a bid and is snapping away at the heels of Bridges and company. He could easily sneak in — for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Emmys’ love for fantasy/sci-fi shows is on the up in recent years thanks to the likes of “Game of Thrones.” In 2019, Kit Harington was nominated for that HBO show in this category, while Ed Harris and Jeffrey Wright both reaped bids for “Westworld” the year before that. And Anthony Hopkins was nominated for the same show the year before that, too. Voters are now more open to fantasy/sci-fi performances, so Luna could take advantage here, especially as we know that Emmy voters like “Star Wars” and the acting in “Star Wars.”

“The Mandalorian” has been nominated for 39 Emmys so far, including two bids for Best Drama Series (in 2020 and 2021) and a total of five nominations for the show’s performances: Best Character Voice-Over in 2020 for Taika Waititi; Best Drama Guest Actor for Timothy Olyphant and Carl Weathers in 2021 and Giancarlo Esposito in 2020; and Best Drama Supporting Actor for Esposito in 2021 (lead actor Pedro Pascal most likely would have earned a nomination himself if he didn’t spend 99% of the show in a mask). However, at its highest, “The Mandalorian” only ever achieved 93% on Rotten Tomatoes (for seasons one and two). “Andor” has a higher score — 96% — and is far better received than that show, so if “The Mandalorian” can land some acting nods, so, too, can “Andor.”

This is particularly true because we expect “Andor” to be up for a fair few awards at this year’s Emmys. It will undoubtedly be the recipient of multiple below-the-line bids, while we predict it will also be nominated for Best Drama Series, Best Drama Guest Actress for Fiona Shaw, and Best Drama Guest Actor for Serkis. Meanwhile, it is also on the precipice of a nomination for Best Drama Supporting Actor for Stellan Skarsgård. If voters are really taken with this show, Luna could get a big boost and be swept along for the ride, particularly as we aren’t sure if all three of the predicted “Succession” boys will actually get in.

This would actually be unprecedented. It has never happened before — three actors have never been nominated for Best Drama Actor in the same year for the same show in the history of the Emmys. Plenty of shows have garnered two nominations, but never three. “Succession” would have to make Emmys history to pull this off but that history tells us that one of them will most likely drop out. If they do, Luna is the one in our odds charts who is closest to them, because he already has awards support for this performance this year.

He was nominated at both the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes for Best Drama Actor, proving that awards bodies like his work in “Andor” and more than willing to get behind him. We think Emmy voters could well do the same and vote for him to give him his first-ever Emmy bid. We’ll see.

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