Actress Genevieve O’Reilly commented for us on the evolution of her character Mon Mothma, who appeared in episode 4 of the series “Andor”, and introduced for the first time in the Star Wars universe in the film “The Return of the Jedi!
Did you recognize this iconic character from the Star Wars saga in episode 4 of Andor? The most hardcore fans obviously did not fail to identify Mon Mothma, one of the main figures of the rebellion with Princess Leia Organa.
Former senator close to Padmé Amidala, Mon Mothma appeared for the very first time on screen in the film The Return of the Jedi (1983), in the guise of actress Caroline Blakiston. Twenty-two years old, the character made his return on the occasion of the third episode of the prequel prequel, Revenge of the Sith.
This rejuvenated version of Mon Mothma was this time interpreted by Genevieve O’Reilly, although her scenes were finally cut during the editing by George Lucas (but appear in the DVD bonuses). Never mind, since the Irish actress has had other opportunities to portray the character, notably in the film Rogue One (of which Andor is the prequel), but also in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels.
On the occasion of the exclusive interview she granted us, Genevieve O’Reilly came back for us on the evolution of the character, from her first appearance in her guise in Revenge of the Sith until Rogue One where she occupies the head of the rebel movement, whose Andor series precisely explores the genesis:
In Revenge of the Sith, I had the opportunity to play Mon Mothma, a young woman who was making her Senate debut. She was working alongside Padmé, and during the scenes in which my character appeared, a rebel group was forming, also including Bail Organa and other senators. (…) A few years later in Rogue One, Mon Mothma is introduced as one of the leaders of the Alliance. In the Andor series, we meet her in an intermediate period, when she continues to work in the Senate, as a sort of double agent. (…) She still harbors the hope of being able to form a resistance group among the senators to oppose Palpatine, and it is at this precise moment in her life that we discover her at the beginning of the Andor series.
The Return of the Jedi and Rogue One films, as well as the Rebels and Andor series, can be found now on Disney+.