This story incorporates spoilers for “Andor” Season 2, together with Episodes 10 by means of 12.

When Elizabeth Dulau first heard what showrunner Tony Gilroy had deliberate for her character in Season 2 of “Andor,” she burst out laughing.

“I just couldn’t believe what he was saying,” says the actor, who portrays the aloof and steadfast insurgent spy Kleya Marki within the “Star Wars” sequence. “And then my first thought was: I need to keep this a secret now for years. How on Earth am I going to do that?”

Kleya performs a pivotal function within the ultimate three-episode arc of “Andor.” After Imperial intelligence officers lastly uncover Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) ties to the Rise up, the antiques supplier makes an attempt to kill himself earlier than he could be captured and interrogated. When Luthen fails, it’s left to Kleya to tie up his ultimate unfastened finish after which ship important data to the rebels on Yavin.

Dulau, who didn’t even know if she could be referred to as again for Season 2, realized of Kleya’s storyline in 2023 when Gilroy referred to as to inform her he wished her to return.

“I’m glad he told me then because it gave me a long time to really ponder how to prepare for that scene,” Dulau says. “He said, ‘We want her to be the one that kills him, and we want it to be additionally heartbreaking because she doesn’t have time to say goodbye.’”

“Andor’s” ultimate episodes sees Kleya make the most of the abilities she’d honed as Luthen’s closest and most trusted affiliate as she infiltrates a closely guarded hospital to achieve him. However somewhat than breaking Luthen out to avoid wasting him, Kleya’s solely choice is to unplug him from the machines which might be maintaining him alive. Then, she has to verify the knowledge Luthen died for is delivered to the Rise up.

“We do not have a bad moment of film of her in our cutting room,” says Gilroy, evaluating Dulau to Meryl Streep. “She’s unbelievable.”

Elizabeth Dulau says it boggles her thoughts that Kleya’s story ties into “Star Wars’” well-known Dying Star plans.

(David Reiss)

“Andor” marks Dulau’s first performing job after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Artwork in London. Whereas the audition got here to her as a job in an “untitled Disney+ project,” she’d heard on the down-low that it was for a “Star Wars” challenge. She has since been solid in exhibits together with “All the Light We Cannot See,” “Gentleman Jack” and the upcoming “House of Guinness.”

“The beautiful thing about Kleya in Season 1 is that she’s such a mystery,” Dulau says. “You can tell that she’s important, but she’s sort of on the peripheries. There’s so many question marks, so it’s such a delight that a lot of those questions get answered this season.”

That Kleya in the end performs a job in serving to the Insurgent Alliance get the Dying Star plans wanted for them to finally defeat the Empire additionally “boggles my mind,” she says.

“It’s not lost on me that Tony has literally written me into Star Wars history with that storyline,” Dulau says. “That blows my mind because it’s so iconic and I have a teeny, tiny little corner of that now.”

Dulau, in a dialog edited for size and readability, discusses Kleya and Luthen’s relationship, her character’s dedication to the Rise up and dealing with Stellan Skarsgård.

There may be a lot that occurs in Episode 10, however how did you strategy that ultimate second the place Kleya has to unplug Luthen from life assist?

Tony made it very clear to me that he didn’t need her to completely break down in that scene. That breakdown, for Kleya, comes afterward as a result of she’s nonetheless in motion mode. In that scene, I actually wished to attach with all of the love that had grown between her and Luthen, towards each of their higher judgment, but additionally all of the hate. When Luthen and no matter crew of males got here to the group she lived in and destroyed them when he labored for the Empire, Kleya was not so younger. She would keep in mind her mother and pop. She would keep in mind if she had siblings, any greatest associates. Luthen will not be harmless on that day. He was courageous sufficient to avoid wasting Kleya, however we don’t know what occurs outdoors of his ship.

Then they spend the following 15 years defending one another and persevering with to avoid wasting one another. So towards their higher judgment, love grows between them. I believe they’re continually being pulled aside by that. It’s too scary to acknowledge the truth that they’ve come to essentially look after one another as a result of this terrible factor is there. I wished to attempt to condense that and make it as clear as potential in that scene after I go to kill him.

I spent lots of time main as much as taking pictures on that day daydreaming. I take advantage of daydreaming loads in my course of. And I daydreamed about that day — what occurred, what Kleya noticed and what she didn’t see when Luther and his males got here to destroy her individuals. I daydreamed fully made-up scenes in my head, just like the day when Luthen made Kleya chuckle for the very first time, or joyful reminiscences between them. I imagined that these precise flashback scenes have been reminiscences of hers that simply have been intrusive ideas as she was attempting to give attention to her mission.

Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) is Luthen Rael’s (Stellan Skarsgård) closest affiliate.

(Lucasfilm Ltd.)

What was your preliminary tackle Kleya and Luthen’s dynamic?

In Season 1, what actually fascinated me was that he units lots of significance to Kleya’s phrases. He actually listens to her and trusts her and permits himself to be seen by her in a method that he doesn’t let himself be seen by anybody else. So what’s the ability dynamic? It’s not the traditional father-daughter factor. It’s not like he’s the boss and she or he’s simply the assistant. There’s an actual equality, and that’s fairly uncommon, I believe, to see between an older man and a youthful lady. I used to be simply fascinated by that and had lots of enjoyable in Season 1 attempting to sq. as much as Stellan Skarsgård and inform him what to do. That was intimidating, however actually enjoyable.

Then after I came upon their backstory, a lot about Kleya made sense. It simply actually broke my coronary heart. In one other life, Luthen would have simply been this antiques nerd. In hardening himself to what he has to do, he additionally hardens this younger lady, Kleya. It helped me notice that beneath all that arduous exterior, on the very core of who Kleya is, really is one thing extraordinarily tender and very loving. That’s why she is so powerful on the skin as a result of there’s one thing very painful that she’s defending deep down. She doesn’t let herself have any associates or fall in love or any of that. She makes herself as deadly a weapon as potential. However towards her greatest judgment, love grows for Luthen, care grows between them, and all of that’s what they must lose. However neither of them are ever keen to confess that.

A lot of “Andor” is concerning the sacrifice all people makes. However for Kleya, we see that her sacrifice has been ongoing.

Sure. “I don’t have lately, I have always,” she says. She has stripped her lifetime of something that makes her susceptible. Pleasure and love and friendship are among the probably the most worthwhile issues {that a} human being can have of their life, but it surely additionally makes you susceptible, in a method. And Kleya simply can’t afford to be susceptible. She tells herself, “I have nothing to lose. Everything is for the Rebellion.” [But] she’s mendacity to herself. She doesn’t actually know till Episode 10 that, really, Luthen is the factor that she has to lose. And she or he’s keen to do it. She’s keen to sacrifice.

It looks like the closest Kleya has to a frenemy of kinds is Vel, however how do you see their dynamic?

Vel actually will get underneath her pores and skin. Regardless that Vel is such a troublesome character as effectively, she has these relationships. She permits herself to have that relationship with Mon Mothma, her cousin, and with Cinta. She permits herself to fall in love and Kleya simply can’t wrap her head round it. How might you let your self be this susceptible? But in addition, possibly for Kleya, there’s a little bit of jealousy there as effectively that Vel has these issues.

Kleya has made herself “as lethal a weapon as possible” for the Rise up, says Elizabeth Dulau.

(Lucasfilm Ltd.)

How did you see Kleya’s journey to Yavin and seeing what she and Luthen had been working for? As a result of issues aren’t fairly over for her but.

I at all times thought she sees it as her ultimate job, getting the details about the Dying Star to Cassian and simply getting that data to Yavin. Since you see Cassian must persuade her to come back with him to Yavin. She doesn’t wish to go there. I don’t know the way a lot she feels she has left to offer at that time. She is overwhelmed by grief for Luthen and that grief makes her notice simply how a lot really she’s come to like him. So she’s on this place of this immensely painful realization concerning the man who did this terrible factor and worn out her individuals. How does anybody reckon with that? That’s the house that she’s in when she’s attempting desperately to persuade Cassian to go with out her to Yavin.

Then, as soon as she’s on Yavin and she or he sees Vel, that tiny little dialog together with her, as brief because it was, it’s monumental for Kleya as a result of it helps shift her perspective sufficient that she possibly begins to see a future for herself there amongst that group.

That ultimate shot really is her trying on the individuals of Yavin doing their morning routines and seeing the fruits of all of her and Luthen’s work for all these years. I believe it’s a sense of immense satisfaction and unhappiness that they pulled it off, but additionally that he’ll by no means see it.

What was it like working with Stellan Skarsgård?

My ultimate audition really was with Stellan. I keep in mind my agent calling me to say, “Your recall went well. The note is, for your final audition, just try not to be too nervous. Walk into that room like you’ve been doing this for years.” Then she mentioned, “Your final audition is going to be at Pinewood Studios. You’re going to be reading opposite Stellan Skarsgård. But don’t let that make you nervous.” And I simply burst out laughing. Like, this isn’t actual. This isn’t occurring.

He met with me for espresso 10 minutes earlier than the audition as a result of it was a chemistry learn and he wished to not do it chilly. Stellan has this glorious magic to him that after 10 minutes of chatting with him for the primary time ever, I actually felt like I used to be strolling into the room with a pal and that I had somebody in my nook that was rooting for me.

Stellan has had such a protracted and wealthy profession, so I don’t know what this job is for him, however that is such an enormous job for me and Stellan has been such an enormous a part of that. I at all times regarded ahead to having one other scene with Stellan. It was like going dwelling once more, having one other scene with him, as a result of he was my anchor all through the entire thing. He knew that it was my first job, so I might ask him all of the questions on what was occurring, performing strategies for display screen, all of that stuff. I might have these conversations with him and he was at all times so keen to speak about it. He actually took me underneath his wings huge time and I’ll at all times be so grateful to him for that.