Mon Mothma actor Genevieve O'Reilly breaks down how a conversation with Andor creator Tony Gilroy created one of season 2's most tragic moments: "He's so deeply collaborative and curious"

Andor creator Tony Gilroy may be (rightfully) lauded as the brainchild behind Star Wars' acclaimed Disney Plus series, but one of the show's actors reveals how his desire to collaborate with his stars led to one of its most heart-wrenching scenes.

In Andor season 2's third episode, Mon (Genevieve O'Reilly) – mindful of her own unhappy marriage – warns her daughter Leida (Bronte Carmichael) about going down a similar path, even giving her an out despite the Chandrilan ceremony commencing behind them.

That moment stands as one of the season's most tragic. It may not be a major death or explosive set-piece, but it's just as potent: a child who doesn't want to break free of tradition and step on her own path.

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As it turns out, that conversation was born from a talk between O'Reilly and Gilroy.

"Tony and I had discussed this when he said she was getting married and I was like, ‘Oh, no, she’s not gonna do this to her daughter,'" O'Reilly says in the new issue of SFX magazine, which features M3GAN 2.0 on the cover and hits newsstands on Wednesday, May 21.

"He’s great about having character conversations with actors. He’s so deeply collaborative and curious about the actor’s perspective. I remember saying to him, ‘She has to give her an out. If it’s that woman who was there in Rogue One and Return of the Jedi, I understand that there’s a pain within her. But if it is that woman who can be a pillar, then what would she do?’"

O'Reilly adds, "And then for Leida to turn the way she did, it just broke my heart. It’s deeply brutal but it was a moment for Mon to gather herself. We saw that. We saw the pain. And I’m sure there were many reasons, but there is a power dynamic shift where Mon steps in to who she is. You end in this huge, big [dance] piece where you understand the chaos that everyday people have to hold. And not just everyday people, but somebody who’s managing to help build rebellion; what that is and what that chaos within that woman must be.”

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Andor season 2 is now streaming on Disney Plus. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which will be available from Wednesday, May 21. Check out the M3GAN 2.0 cover you need to be looking out for on newsstands below...