Tony Gilroy on Why ANDOR Recast a Major STAR WARS Prequel Character: “We Tried Really Hard, But He Wasn’t Available”
If there’s one thing Andor has proven, it’s that it doesn’t need nostalgia bait to tell a compelling story. The show has always marched to its own beat without leaning too hard on the crutches of legacy.
But in Andor Season 2, Episode 6, a notable exception popped up: Senator Bail Organa made an appearance. Except this time, the character wasn’t played by Jimmy Smits.
Bail Organa has been recast, and according to series creator Tony Gilroy, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Gilroy shared:
"The scheduling didn’t work out. We really tried hard, but he wasn't available and couldn't make it."
That’s a bit of a heartbreaker for fans who’ve followed Smits in the role since Attack of the Clones. From there, he helped shape the quiet resistance in Revenge of the Sith, sacrificed everything in Rogue One, and returned briefly in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
So, the sudden switch understandably raised some eyebrows. But Gilroy was upfront about the reality of legacy casting, saying:
"Bringing back legacy characters is really complicated. It's very expensive. It's very, who's working when. A lot of effort went into it, but we just couldn't work it out scheduling wise."
That’s where Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy stepped in by recommending Benjamin Bratt (Coco, Law and Order) to fill the role. Gilroy fully embraced the idea, praising both the choice and Bratt himself.
"It was just a brilliant idea. He’s a wonderful human being and really eager and beloved on set and really happy about what he does."
Still, Gilroy knew recasting Bail Organa was going to spark conversation. So he did something smart, he baked the discussion into the release strategy.
"We don't do many things that are unnecessary, but it's like, ‘Let's get him in here now so people can discuss it for a week and get it out of their system and then he can come back to really work.’ I didn’t want the guy's work to be confused with his introduction."
I have no issues with the casting change, I think Bratt is a great choice to fill the show of Bail Organa. Sure, it’s a bummer they couldn’t get Smits, but dammit, they put in the effort and tried. In the end, the show and the story they are telling is still good!