Denise Gough Reveals How A Breaking Bad Villain Influenced Her Imperial Character In Andor
By Daniel Kim
In an exclusive interview with Looper, Denise Gough admitted she hadn't seen any films or TV series in the "Star Wars" universe before being cast in "Andor." With no real frame of reference to help inform Dedra Meero, Gough found inspiration instead in a role made famous by revered actor Giancarlo Esposito before he starred as Moff Gideon in "The Mandalorian."
"I knew about Darth Vader, obviously, and I knew about Palpatine because I worked with Ian McDiarmid. I knew there was baddies and goodies and the Dark Side and the Light Side, but I wasn't an aficionado of any of this stuff," Gough said. "But I tell you who had a profound effect on me as a villain in TV — Gus Fring from 'Breaking Bad' and that sense of meticulous detail and cleanliness that he has in his actions."
Gough has no regrets about not having seen much of the "Star Wars" universe before joining "Andor." In fact, not having any knowledge of the sprawling saga allowed her to look at the "Andor" material with fresh eyes.
"It was better for me in that I wasn't somebody who was totally influenced by 'Star Wars,' because I approached this like I would approach a new play that I'm working on. ... That's what was so amazing about it," Gough said. "I didn't think it was the right fit for me until I read the first three scripts, and I'm not even in [the episodes]. I was like, 'Oh, no, hang on. This is not science fiction. It's great writing,' and it's 'Star Wars.'"
Also starring Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, and Genevieve O'Reilly, "Andor" is streaming exclusively on Disney+, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday through November 23.
