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‘I don’t see myself here’: Diego Luna explains how Gareth Edwards convinced him to be in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

Trying to picture 'Andor' without Diego Luna is like trying to picture Han Solo without Chewbacca — it doesn't work.

Diego Luna’s turn as rebel rouser Cassian Andor in 2016’s Rogue One and more recently in the Disney Plus series Andor has certainly been a breath of fresh air for that galaxy far, far away. Portraying his hero with a realism seldom seen in Star Wars, Luna brings an entirely new perspective to these intergalactic tales of good and evil.

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Yet, Luna’s involvement with Star Wars wasn’t always so set in stone. In a new addition of Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Diego Luna sat down with Hayden Christensen to discuss their time working on one of the world’s most recognizable intellectual properties.

When talking with Hayden about how he initial joined up with the folks over at Lucasfilm, Diego seemed to think everything was a bit too good to be true — having to be convinced Rogue One’s director Gareth Edwards to sign on.

“My agent said, ‘This might be Star Wars.’ I guess she didn’t want me to get excited about anything. Gareth (Edwards) explained to me the whole film, and he said at the end, ‘I would really like you to play this role.’ I said to him, ‘But I don’t see myself here. I love these films, but how do I fit here? No one has my accent. I’ve never thought this could be possible.’ He (Gareth Edwards) basically said, ‘Since I saw Y tu mamá también, I thought you could be great for a role like this. I want that kind of tone in the film. I want that realism, that feeling that it’s everyday life.’ I never thought that a film like Y tu mamá también would get me the chance to be in the world of Star Wars.”

Y tu mamá también could be considered Diego Luna’s first notable piece of work, and since the film’s release in 2001, Luna has been on a meteoric journey ever since. Along with its director, Alfonso Cuarón, who went on to direct modern classics like: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, Roma, and Gravity.

What I find so compelling about this particular quote from Luna is the mentioning of his accent. More specifically, that no one in Star Wars had an accent quite like his, and how that might not work in the first place. Frankly, what makes Cassian Andor so unforgettable is that honesty. To himself and his heritage, sure, but more than that — to the audience.

Forget about the galaxy, we live in a wide-wide world. People sound different, that’s a fact. It would stand to reason the folks in Star Wars would too. In my opinion, Diego Luna’s sound (if you will) is absolutely perfect. Never change, Diego. In the end, all anyone can do is bide their time, and hope that a second season of Andor isn’t too far, far away.


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Parker Whitmore
Parker is a writer, filmmaker, and storyteller who really hates talking about himself in the third-person. Couldn't he just say something like... Hi, I'm Parker! I write articles about some of the stuff you like. Take a look — or don't, I'm not the boss of you.