Andor's Denise Gough Highlights The Complications Of Cheering For Her Character
Set during the darkest hours of the "Star Wars" timeline at the height of Imperial power, "Andor" is a series that will explore how one man becomes dedicated to the cause of the Rebel Alliance. Diego Luna reprises his role from "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" as the titular Cassian Andor, the man who will lead a team of reluctant heroes to steal the blueprints for the Death Star. But as "Andor" opens, that future is still five years away, and Cassian is just an ordinary man trying to survive in a hostile galaxy.
As Cassian is drawn into the Alliance's fight against the Empire, he faces the full might of their forces, from corporate police to the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), which essentially functions as the Empire's version of the American CIA or the former Soviet KGB. Among their ranks, we meet Dedra Meero, an ambitious ISB officer played by Denise Gough.
At a Disney press event for "Andor" that Looper attended, Gough dished on her Imperial character. Though Dedra begins as a low-ranking officer, Gough notes that she is ruthless and has loftier ambitions, so it sounds like she may pose quite a threat to Cassian Andor and his comrades. But Gough elaborated on her feelings about the character, highlighting the folly of cheering for Dedra no matter how tempting it may be to do so.
Dedra Meero may be a girlboss, but she's still a fascist
At a Disney press event promoting Season 1 of "Andor," Denise Gough explained her complicated feelings toward the character of Debra Meero. According to Gough, Dedra is a smart woman in a world of mediocre men, and a person who knows she's right despite what her colleagues may think. "What I love about playing her is that, you know, she's in this very male-dominated world," Gough said. "She's seeing around her the way that people are missing what she can see is happening." The actor went on to note that Dedra's position of authority has a strong influence on her, as it would anybody who wields that sort of power. "She's clawing her way up the ladder, and I love portraying the effect that power just has on a person, like, the danger of that pursuit of power and control, regardless of gender."
However, Gough was quick to temper her enthusiasm for the character with a warning for any fans who might find themselves rooting for Dedra. Although she may fit the description of a girlboss, she's still working for a ruthlessly oppressive government. As Gough put it, "I do kind of love that you're thinking, 'Oh, go girl!' and then you remember she's in a fascist organization."
Whether there's any sympathy to be had for Dedra Meero is a question some fans may find to be an interesting ethical quandary when "Andor" premieres on September 21, exclusively on Disney+.