Star Wars’ Andy Serkis Explains His Concerns About Joining Andor

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Andy Serkis holding his hands behind his head in a prison uniform while playing Kino Loy on Andor

Published May 7, 2026, 10:56 PM EDT

Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots.

Andy Serkis had a memorable guest stint on the Star Wars TV series Andor, but he had some concerns when he was offered his role.

While speaking with Variety, Serkis explained that he was “slightly worried” that appearing on Andor would be confusing to Star Wars fans because he’d previously played Supreme Leader Snoke in the major science fiction franchise's sequel trilogy:

To be honest, I was slightly worried because I’d been in the Star Wars universe as Supreme Leader Snoke. And then I was thinking that was confusing enough for the fans. And I just thought they might think there was a weird connection to this new character that I was playing, but when I met with Tony Gilroy, I just loved where he was coming from with this story. To talk about fascism through the lens of 'Star Wars,' I thought it was incredible.

Serkis first appeared in a galaxy far, far away during The Force Awakens, where Snoke was presented as the master of Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren. Though the character has a more significant role in The Last Jedi, he was ultimately betrayed by his apprentice and cut in half. Serkis also had a cameo in The Rise of Skywalker when Palpatine revealed he’d created Snoke as his puppet to lure Ben Solo to the dark side.

So when Andor came along, Serkis was worried fans would assume that Kino was connected to Snoke in some way. In the end, he was persuaded by Gilroy, the show’s creator, to trust in his vision and take the role anyway. Thankfully, it was quickly made clear that Kino had nothing to do with Snoke as the events of the series unfolded.

Instead, Kino functioned as one of the floor managers at the Imperial factory where the prisoners of Narkina 5 were forced to work. Originally, he was adamant that Cassian stick to the strict disciplinary itinerary at the factory. However, after witnessing an elderly prisoner being euthanized shortly before his release, Kino agrees to help him organize a breakout.

They successfully pulled off the breakout, but Kino was not among the many who escaped the prison because he couldn’t swim. So, presumably, the character either met his demise or spent the rest of his life incarcerated. However, what was a sad fate for Kino made for compelling television for Disney+ subscribers, and he was one of the many people who helped push Cassian on the path to join the Rebellion.

Both of Andor’s seasons were met with critical acclaim. The show, which chronicled Cassian’s life in the five years leading up to the 2016 movie Rogue One, has an overall 96% Tomatometer rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and an 89% for the audience-driven Popcornmeter. Its accolades include winning four Emmys (among 12 other nominations) and a Peabody.

Along with his two Star Wars roles, Serkis has starred in franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His latest movie, Animal Farm, is now playing in theaters, and his upcoming projects include portraying Edward Braddock in Young Washington, as well as reprising Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman Part II. Upcoming Star Wars movies include The Mandalorian & Grogu and Starfighter.