By Berenice Bautista
MEXICO CITY (AP) --Diego Luna has mixed emotions about the looming end of his Star Wars series "Andor."
"I am very excited filming, all the time I feel that we are approaching the end and, therefore, the process is lived with a certain melancholy," the Mexican actor said in a recent interview by video call during a break in shoots in Great Britain for the acclaimed series' second season.
Luna knew the series, about a Rebel spy introduced to fans in 2016's "Rogue One," was meant to last only two seasons. But he's not looking forward to the end.
"There is also an inevitable part of saying how sad it is to leave this team, to leave this dynamic, to leave this time living here," he said.
The show has taken a thriller approach to telling the backstory of Cassian Andor, a thief-turned-spy for the rebels resisting the brutal Galactic Empire of the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
Luna's portrayal of Andor's survive-at-all-costs ethos has made placed him on many shortlists for a drama series actor Emmy nomination. If it happens, he would be the first Latino actor to get an Emmy nom in the category in nearly 30 years; Puerto Rican star Jimmy Smits was the last actor to compete in the category in 1995 for his role in "NYPD Blue."
There are other possible contenders: Pedro Pascal for "The Last of Us," Jenna Ortega for "Wednesday" and Selena Gomez for the comedy series "Only Murders in the Building." While Luna is happy he's in the mix, the long drought for Latin actors is troubling.
"What makes me sad is the fact, the fact that the last nomination for a Latino actor in this category was so many years ago, it is very absurd knowing the number of interesting stories that have been told, the number of actors who have done memorable jobs," he said. "But it's also exciting to know that I'm not the only one and that makes me think that good things are coming for people who look like me, who come from where I come from."
For now, Luna focuses on "what has already happened", including the positive reception that "Andor" has received.
Created and produced by Tony Gilroy, "Andor" has received nominations for honors at the BAFTAs, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards and numerous others. It's a rare achievement for a sci-fi series, which generally do not find themselves in the main categories at shows like the Emmys.
"There are many prejudices in some way with science fiction cinema and with 'Andor' very beautiful things have happened," Luna said. "It's very nice to see that for the team, the people who do this, the people in the industry are celebrating them and the series."
When asked if there will be more action or if the second season, which will arrive in August 2024, will be darker, Luna stressed that the series lives in the middle of both forces.
"It's the balance that makes this series stick," he said. "I think that if something characterizes this series, it is the depth it has in the portrait of its characters. Being the last season, you got to follow the path of all these characters that you met in the first, and well, many of them are not in 'Rogue One' and the stories have to be (brought) to an end."
Comedic Director Roderick Fenske Joins Yard Dog TV For U.S. Spot Work
Roderick Fenske, the award-winning agency copywriter/creative director turned comedic director of commercials and films, has joined Yard Dog TV for U.S. representation.
Fenske--known for his idiosyncratic casting, stylish art direction, and blend of practical and digital effects--saw his newest commercial work, for Drink Weird Ice Tea, break earlier this month. His most recent short film, I’m Dead, You’re Welcome, starring JR Russell, Taissa Zveiter, Sandy Eels, and Julia Lorpriore, is making the rounds of film festivals now, having won Best Comedy Short at the Flagstaff International Film Festival last month.
Fenske, who started out in the business as a copywriter, is one of a select group of agency creatives to have found success in both New York and London, where his last post was as a creative director at TBWA there. “I owe so much of my career to Trevor Beattie [TBWA London chairman/creative director at the time], because he believed in me and started my career directing commercials,” said Fenske, citing work for Sony PlayStation, French Connection UK, and Channel 5.
Those spots led to an invitation to become a member of the visionary Swedish film collective known as ACNE. “I learned so much there working in a directing collective. With everybody talking about how to make stuff look stylish and cinematic it was like a film school for me,” Fenske explained. “Production design is so important because humor can be much more unexpected when you have an elevated look.”
Over the course of his career, Fenske’s work has received many international awards from shows including the Cannes Lions, British D&AD, and AICP. He moved from London to Los Angeles, and during this time he met Yard Dog... Read More