Tony Gilroy entered the Star Wars galaxy as a credited writer (he came in later in the shoot) for the stand-alone 2016 hit movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Now he has taken it much further as showrunner, head writer and executive producer of the Disney+ series Andor, the title of course referring to lead character Cassian Andor, who again is played by Diego Luna (the subject of a recent episode of my Deadline series, The Actor’s Side).
With Rogue One being a prequel to what would be the first Star Wars film, aka A New Hope, this show — which is in the midst of shooting its second and final season — might be called the prequel to the prequel as it explores in detail, and through 24 episodes by the time it is done, the story of Cassian Andor, leading right to where it all started for movie fans with the 1977 original.
As Gilroy tells me in this new episode of my Deadline video series Behind the Lens, it is a gift to be able to use the series format streaming provides to go deep into a character who has really made his mark in the Star Wars universe. The critically acclaimed series, which has been building big Emmy buzz and already won Gilroy a couple of WGA nominations and other accolades including the prestigious Peabody Award this month, is more like a spy thriller than what you might expect from anything else in this particular galaxy. It stands out from the crowd, which is at least one reason it has received so much praise.
A two-time Oscar nominee for directing and writing the 2007 film Michael Clayton, Gilroy also is no stranger to hit franchises, having written the Jason Bourne trilogy as well as writing and directing 2012’s The Bourne Legacy. His screenwriting credits include Dolores Claiborne, The Cutting Edge, Devil’s Advocate, Armageddon, Proof of Life, State of Play, Beirut and Duplicity (which healso directed). His TV work also includes being a consulting producer on House Of Cards.
You might say Gilroy was born into this business. His father was the late, great Frank Gilroy, a Pilitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter (The Subject was Roses, The Only Game in Town), and his brothers also are major players in the buinsess :writer-director Dan Gilroy and editor-producer John Gilroy. The latter two also participated in the production of Andor, making it quite a family affair.
To watch my conversation and go “behind the lens” with Tony Gilroy, just click on the link above. Join me every Monday and Friday during Emmy season for another edition of Behind The Lens.
NOTE: THIS EPISODE WAS TAPED PRIOR TO THE MAY 2 BEGINNING OF THE WGA STRIKE.