This story contains spoilers of season 2 of “Andor”, including episodes 10 to 12.
When Elizabeth Dulau first listened to what Showrunner Tony Gilroy had planned for her character in season 2 of “Andor”, he laughed.
“I just couldn't believe what I was saying,” says the actor, who portrays Spy Marki's rebel and firm spy in the series “Star Wars.” “And then my first thought was: I need to keep this a secret now for years. How the hell will I do that?”
Kley plays a fundamental role in the final arch of three episodes of “Andor”. After imperial intelligence officers finally discover the ties of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) with the rebellion, the antiquity dealership tries to commit suicide before it can be captured and interrogated. When Luthen fails, Kley stays to tie his loose end and then deliver vital information to the rebels in Yavin.
Dulau, who did not even know if they would call her back for season 2, learned of Kley's story in 2023 when Gilroy called him to tell him that he wanted me to return.
“I'm glad he told me then because he really had to reflect on how to prepare for that scene,” says Dulau. “He said: 'We want her to kill him, and we want her to be a heartbreaking because she doesn't have time to say goodbye.”
The final episodes of “Andor” sees Kley use the skills he had perfected as the closest and most reliable associate of Luthen, since he infiltrates a strongly saved hospital to communicate with him. But instead of breaking Luthen to save him, Kley's only option is to unplug him from the machines that keep him alive. Then, you have to make sure that the information that Luthen died is given to the rebellion.
“We do not have a bad moment of her film in our cutting room,” says Gilroy, comparing Dulau with Meryl Streep. “She is incredible.”
Elizabeth Dulau says that Kley's story is linked to the famous “Star Wars” death plans.
(David Reiss)
“Andor” marks Dulau's first acting work after graduating from the Royal Dramatic Art Academy in London. While hearing came to her as a role in a “Disney+ project without title”, he had heard in the casualty that was for a “Star Wars” project. Since then, it has been chosen in shows that include “all the light that we cannot see”, “Gentleman Jack” and the next “Guinness House”.
“Kley's beautiful thing in season 1 is that it is a mystery,” says Dulau. “It can be said that it is important, but it is in the peripheries. There are so many question signs, so it is a delight that many of those questions are answered this season.”
That Kleya finally plays a role in helping the rebel alliance to obtain the Death Star plans necessary so that they will eventually defeat the empire “my mind is worting,” she says.
“I have not missed that Tony has literally written to the story of Star Wars with that story,” says Dulau. “That surprises me because it is very iconic and now I have a small and small corner of that.”
Dulau, in a conversation edited by length and clarity, discusses the relationship of Kley and Luthen, his character's commitment to rebellion and working with Stellan Skarsgård.
There are so many things that happen in episode 10, but how did you approach that final moment in which Kley has to unplug Luthen from the life support?
Tony made me very clear that he didn't want her to collapse totally in that scene. That breakdown, for Kleya, comes later because it is still in mode of action. In that scene, I really wanted to connect with all the love that had grown between her and Luthen, against both judgments, but also with all the hatred. When Luthen and any team of men came to the community in which he lived and destroyed them when he worked for the empire, Kley was not so young. She would remember her mother and dad. I would remember if I had brothers, any best friend. Luthen is not innocent that day. It was brave enough to save Kley, but we don't know what happens outside his ship.
Then spend the next 15 years protecting themselves and continue to save themselves. Then, against his best judgment, love grows between them. I think they are constantly being separated by that. It is too scary to recognize the fact that they have really taken care of themselves because this horrible thing is there. I wanted to try to condense that and make it the clearest as possible in that scene when I'm going to kill him.
I spent a lot of time before shooting that day dreaming. I use a lot of dreaming in my process. And I dreamed with the day of that day: what happened, what Kley saw and what he did not see when Luther and his men came to destroy their people. I dreamed scenes completely invented in my head, like the day Luthen made Kley laugh for the first time, or happy memories between them. I imagined that those real flashback scenes were memories of it that they were only intrusive thoughts, since I was trying to concentrate on their mission.
Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) is the closest associate of Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård).
(Lucasfilm Ltd.)
What was your initial opinion on the dynamics of Kley and Luthen?
In season 1, what really fascinated me was that it gives a lot of importance to Kley's words. He really listens to her and trusts her and is allowed to be seen by her in a way that is not seen. So what is the dynamics of power? It is not the classic father-daughter. It is not as if he were the boss and she is just the assistant. There is real equality, and that is quite rare, I think, see between an older man and a younger woman. I was fascinated by that and I had a lot of fun in season 1 trying to face Stellan Skarsgård and tell him what to do. That was intimidating, but very funny.
Then, when I discovered his background, much on Kleya made sense. I really broke my heart. In another life, Luthen would have been this Nerd of antiques. By hardening what he has to do, he also hardens this young woman, Kley. It helped me to realize that under all that hard exterior, in the core of who Kley is, it is actually something extremely tender and extremely loving. That is why it is so hard on the outside because there is something very painful that is protecting in the background. She doesn't stop having friends or falls in love or anything like that. She makes a weapon as lethal as possible. But against his best judgment, love grows for Luthen, attention grows between them, and all that is what they have to lose. But none of them are willing to admit that.
Much of “Andor” is the sacrifice that everyone does. But for Kley, We see that his sacrifice has been ongoing.
Yes. “I don't have lately, I've always done it,” she says. She has stripped her life of anything that makes her vulnerable. Joy, love and friendship are some of the most valuable things that a human being can have in his life, but it also makes you vulnerable, in a way. And Kley cannot afford to be vulnerable. She tells herself: “I have nothing to lose. Everything is for rebellion.” [But] She is lying to herself. She does not really know until episode 10 who, in reality, Luthen is what she has to lose. And she is willing to do it. She is willing to sacrifice.
It seems that the closest Kleya he has for a kind of enemy is Vel, but how do you see its dynamics?
Vel really puts himself under his skin. Although Vel is also such a difficult character, he has those relationships. She allows you to have that relationship with Mon Mothma, her cousin and with tape. She allows you to fall in love and Kley cannot wrap it. How could you let yourself be so vulnerable? But also, maybe for Kley, there is a bit of jealousy there also that Vel has those things.
Kley has made herself “a weapon as lethal” for the rebellion, says Elizabeth Dulau.
(Lucasfilm Ltd.)
How did you see Kley's trip to Yavin and seeing why they had been working and Luthen? Because things have not yet ended for her.
I always thought she sees her as her final work, obtaining the information about the star of death to Cassian and simply taking that information to Yavin. Because you see that Cassian has to convince her to come with him to Yavin. She doesn't want to go there. I don't know how much he feels he has left to give at that time. It is overwhelmed by pain by Luthen and that pain makes him realize how much he has come to love him. So he is in this place of this immensely painful realization about the man who made this horrible thing and annihilated his people. How do you consider someone with that? That is the space where he meets when he tries to convince Cassian to go without her to Yavin.
Then, once he is in Yavin and sees Vel, that little conversation with her, as short as it was, is monumental for Kleya because it helps to change his perspective enough so that he may begin to see a future for herself among that community.
That last one really takes her looking at the people of Yavin making her morning routines and seeing the culmination of all her and Luthen's work during all those years. I think it is a feeling of immense satisfaction and sadness that achieved it, but also that it will never see it.
How was working with Stellan Skarsgård?
My final audition was actually with Stellan. I remember that my agent called me to say: “Your retirement was fine. The note is that, for your final audition, just try not to be too nervous. I enter that room as if you were doing this for years.” Then he said: “Your final audition will be in Pinewood Studios. You're going to read in front of Stellan Skarsgård. But don't let that make you nervous.” And I just exploded laughing. As, this is not real. This is not happening.
He met with me to have coffee 10 minutes before hearing because it was a chemistry reading and did not want to make it cold. Stellan has this wonderful magic for him that after 10 minutes of chatting with him for the first time, I really felt that he was entering the room with a friend and that I had someone in my corner that was supporting me.
Stellan has had such a long and rich career, so I don't know what this work is for him, but this is such a great job for me and Stellan has been a large part of that. I always hoped to have another scene with Stellan. It was like returning home again, having another scene with him, because he was my anchor throughout the matter. I knew it was my first job, so I could ask all the questions about what was happening, screening techniques, all that. He could have those conversations with him and he was always so willing to talk about it. He really took me under his wings in a big way and I will always be very grateful to him for that.
