Andor's Ben Bailey Smith Compares Landing His Role To Watching A Scary Movie
As numerous individuals have touted since it premiered, "Andor" is a breath of fresh air in the "Star Wars" galaxy. Instead of taking the cameo and reference-loaded, fast-paced adventure route the franchise has become synonymous with, it instead took a more tense, methodical approach. Cassian Andor's (Diego Luna) transition from a semi-neutral citizen of the Empire to a full-blown revolutionary intent on changing the galaxy for the better took time to develop, with Imperial forces taking their sweet time to realize the potentially galaxy-wide pushback they'll soon have to face.
Early on in the inaugural season of "Andor," he and the developing Rebellion don't take up much space in the collective mind of the Empire. Only a handful of folks, such as Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) and Lieutenant Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), truly grasp what's going on right underneath the Empire's nose. Nevertheless, their pleas to their fellow Imperials fall on deaf ears. Their colleagues either don't care to hear their "tall tales" or simply want to see them overwhelmed by the weight of their ambitions, thus affording them a chance to step on them to climb the Imperial ranks. Case in point: Lieutenant Blevin.
The difficult Lieutenant Blevin became quite a thorn in the side of Dedra Meero throughout "Andor" Season 1, proving that even in the Galactic Empire, pettiness can get in the way of all else. Actor Ben Bailey Smith took on the role that he explained gave him a feeling similar to watching a scary movie when he landed it.
Scoring the role of Blevin made Bailey Smith laugh, but not out of humor
In late November of 2022, Ben Bailey Smith spoke with the official "Star Wars" website about the role of Lieutenant Blevin and his experience landing it. As he explained, when he found out that he got the part, it filled him with an odd mix of emotions. He likened it to watching a horror movie, which can sometimes make one laugh while they're absolutely terrified. "It wasn't that it was funny. It was so unreal. I just couldn't get my head around the fact that it was actually going to happen," Bailey Smith said, explaining that the pure disbelief and surrealism are what caused him to laugh at the news.
Though he didn't take up too much of the "Andor" spotlight, when Ben Bailey Smith got the chance to shine as Blevin, he made the most of it. After all, he's a massive "Star Wars" fan and has been for years, so the last thing he likely wanted to do was mess up the opportunity to join the galaxy far, far away. In an interview with StageRightSecrets, he even revealed that "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi" holds a special place in his heart. "I've got a photo on my phone from 1983 of me dressed as Darth Vader after seeing 'Return of the Jedi.' It was the first movie I ever saw," he said, reiterating just how much it means to him to be on "Andor."
For the sake of Ben Bailey Smith, we can only hope that Lieutenant Blevin will reemerge for the impending second season of "Andor" (which we may have to wait until 2024 to see).