Fiona Shaw Talks Family, the Resistance, and Her Favorite Line from “Andor”

The first few episodes of Disney+’s Andor are now live for streaming. Despite having only been out for a short period of time, Andor has so far received a barrage of positive reviews, and one of the show’s stars has nothing but glorious things to say about it. Fiona Shaw, who is known for her portrayal of Petunia in the Harry Potter movies, is playing Maarva Andor in the series.

Shaw was in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about the ins and outs of her own character and the family dynamics that happen in the subtext of the show. As the story goes, Maarva is Cassian Andor’s (Diego Luna) adoptive mother. Shaw spoke about what motivates Maarva to take in Cassian after he’s left without parents as a child.

He would’ve definitely died if she hadn’t taken him home. Her husband says, ‘Are you crazy?’ And she says, ‘I’m not going to leave him here to die.’ So I think that’s it. Even when she first saw Cassian, he is a creature of such wonderful personality, and I suspect the bond happened even before she decided to take him on. She saw him and thought, ‘This is a spectacular kid.’ So she brings him up as her own.

But before he becomes a key player in the fight against the Empire, Cassian is a bit of a “disappointment because he can’t find his path,” said Shaw. As a scavenger traveling through the vastness of space, Maarva recognizes that Cassian has potential. But as a mother, Shaw said Maarva does everything she can to love Cassian as her own and give him what he lost.

During her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shaw talked about a personal favorite moment of hers as Maarva. The line from Maarva goes, “That’s what a reckoning sounds like” and was written by Andor creator Tony Gilroy.

I enjoyed that because what was also written in it is this feeling that Maarva has been in these moments before, the same way somebody might remember the 1960s and when the revolution died. She is somebody who remembers previous turbulence. Her family had been punished quite unfairly by the Empire, and I think she really does enjoy what a reckoning sounds like. When it gets quiet is when you really have to worry. She’s referring to the silence before a storm.

Andor is now streaming on Disney+.