At Noris Force Con 7 I had the chance to speak with Andy de la Tour about his time on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story but also about his episode of The Bad Batch and about him missing from the Star Wars TV show Andor.
You can find the German version of this interview HERE.
How are you today? Are you enjoying the event?
I am enjoying it a lot. I am so amazed by all the people here and also all the people who have the costumes and dress up as characters from Star Wars. I am just so impressed with that. It’s good fun, good fun.
In today’s world it is all about secrecy when it comes to movies. How much did you know about the movie and the character before you joined Rogue One?
Well, actually I was offered a different character. I was told about a particular character and then they changed their minds and offered me the character that I played. So it was quite late but I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know what the story was, I didn’t have the whole script, so I did discover the character bit by bit. So yes, there was all that secrecy surrounding it, but as soon as I started filming it I met with the director and everybody was so friendly. And I quickly realized what the story was about.
So do you like this secrecy or do you hate it?
Well, I understand it with Star Wars. The secrecy though is now used in so many different programmes, also TV programmes, and really unnecessarily. With Star Wars they want to keep it secret for the storyline.
Rogue One was the first live-action movie outside the Skywalker saga. Were the expectations different then and what were the expectations you had and everyone around had?
We were quite excited, that we were doing a movie with that the story finishes just before the original Star Wars begins. That was quite exciting because technically we had to look exactly like the characters that we were playing for continuity. That was quite exciting.
Yes, I think it was interesting to bring everything and everyone back to the 70s. What was that like for you, experiencing it on set?
That was extraordinary, but I don’t know if you know about the particular thing with the scene that I was in. There was Peter Cushing who was in the original Star Wars, and of course he died many years ago. So there was a very, very good actor called Guy Henry, who played Peter Cushing and with all the different computer things they managed to change his face. You of course know about it.
Yes, it is amazing.
Yes, it’s extraordinary. And when I first saw the movie, when we went to the cinema, and then with this scene, it was me talking to Peter Cushing. That was very, very strange. That was very extraordinary, really.
You had a guest appearance on the animated show The Bad Batch.
Yes, it was one episode.
Was was that like and how did that happen?
To be honest I am not actually sure. I was just up to do this. I went into a studio in London, where I recorded the lines, but I was talking on a link to people in San Francisco. So all I knew was, I had this scene and I had my lines to do and I read my lines and that’s all it was. That’s all I did.
Have you watched the episode?
No I never saw the episode. I was on it, but I never saw the episode.
With the success of Rogue One came the prequel show, Andor. What happened that you didn’t appear on that? Did they ask you?
No, they never asked. If they had asked I would have certainly appeard on that. I was rather disappointed.
So you could have seen yourself, your character, in this show? I mean it was a lot about the Empire as well.
Yes. I know, I know. Why didn’t they put my character in? I don’t know. I was disappointed.
What did it feel like to join the Star Wars universe at a time during which no one really knew into which direction it would be going. There was Episode VII of course heading into the future, but Rogue One was going back in time. What was it like to join in this era?
Well, to be honest, it kind of missed me a bit. When you are doing the film you don’t really kind of think about that and also because I am not that familiar with the Star Wars universe anyway it didn’t really have an impact on me I am afraid.
What is it then now like for you to be at conventions, meeting all those fans.
It is extraordinary. It brings me right back into it. It’s some years ago. We made the film already, you know, one forgets and suddenly when you come to a convention … This is my first convention in five years, so you start to come back into it and you are being reminded that Star Wars still has this kind of support.
Would you like to head back into the Star Wars universe if they offered you a role, although Andor did not work out for you?
Without a doubt. I would. If you see them, tell them.
Star Wars is a huge universe, but are there any other franchises you would like to join?
Well, I am a working actor and you don’t get that much choice. So it would be good, I would be happy to be involved in another big show. But for me it hasn’t happened yet. But it would be great.
Fingers crossed.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for taking time for this interview.
Thank you. My pleasure. My pleasure.
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