Diego Luna on the success of 'Andor': 'It was celebrated because it's different'

For many "Star Wars" fans, "Andor" represents one of the first real-life examples of Disney's "Star Wars" Expanded Universe living up to its potential. When the company first acquired Lucasfilm, there was a lot of excitement around its promise to explore more obscure characters in a galaxy far, far away through film and TV projects outside of the landmark trilogies. But while there were certainly critical highlights, many of the previous Disney-produced spinoffs were dismissed as little more than retreads of the franchise's greatest hits.

But not "Andor". The Tony Gilroy-directed series has received critical acclaim for its uncompromising depiction of poor people in the "Star Wars" universe living under the rule of an oppressive empire. While so many previous "Star Wars" projects have followed heroes destined for great things, "Andor" focuses on the daily lives of those most affected by the Empire's evil deeds. The fight for freedom has been present in nearly every "Star Wars" film, but "Andor" differentiated itself by showing the brutal detail of what its characters are actually fighting against.

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It's an accolade not lost on Diego Luna, who plays Cassian Andor on the show. Speaking to IndieWire on the Critics Choice Awards red carpet, the actor expressed his gratitude that Gilroy and his team were able to pull off such a unique project that could still exist in the larger "Star Wars" universe. /p>

"When people talk about 'Star Wars' as one thing, it's too heavy," Luna said. "I'm here because 'Andor' is celebrated, and 'Andor' is part of the 'Star Wars' family. But that's his thing, you know? And that's one of the reasons why 'Andor' was so celebrated, because it's different. It's his. It's exactly what we wanted to do. And it's awesome and weird at the same time. Because we're part of "Star Wars," but we're different from anything 'Star Wars' brings. And I guess I'm just so lucky to have such freedom on a show that's part of 'Star Wars.'"

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