“Andor” season 2 is one of the “Star Wars” franchise’s boldest outings yet, but some fans of the galaxy far, far away might be confused by one of its casting decisions. The second installment of “Andor” features Benjamin Bratt as Senator Bail Organa, a character who was famously played by Jimmy Smits in “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones” and its sequel, “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” (whose re-release is doing numbers at the box office), among other “Star Wars” projects. Given that Smits is still an active performer, he could’ve, theoretically, reprise the role of Organa in “Andor” season 2; unfortunately, the stars didn’t align for him this time around.
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While discussing the latest season of “Andor” with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Tony Gilroy opened up about the decision to recast the role of Organa, explaining that it wasn’t for a lack of trying. In his own words:
“We couldn’t work it out. The scheduling didn’t work out. We really tried hard, but [Smits] wasn’t available and couldn’t make it.”
The “Andor” creator noted that bringing back legacy characters is difficult for a couple of reasons. Firstly, scheduling conflicts often arise, and a show like “Andor” isn’t in a position to wait around for actors to become available. Secondly, hiring the original actors can be expensive, and money talks at the end of the day. That said, Gilroy has no regrets about replacing Smits with Bratt, as he is very happy with the latter’s performance.
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Tony Gilroy is happy with Benjamin Bratt’s Andor efforts
Benjamin Bratt appears to have settled right into the “Andor” family. During the aforementioned interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tony Gilroy praised the actor for both his on-screen and behind-the-scenes contributions, noting that he’s loved by his colleagues and enthusiastic about his job. Here’s what the creator had to say on the matter:
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“[Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy] had the idea for Benjamin. It was just a brilliant idea. He’s a wonderful human being and really eager and beloved on set and really happy about what he does.”
Of course, a cast and crew liking a performer is one thing, but recasting such a notable character in a franchise like “Star Wars” — whose fan base is known for being rather passionate — is another thing. Gilroy was conscious of some potential blowback, which is why Bratt’s iteration of the character was quietly slotted into season 2, episode 6. As Gilroy observed:
“It’s one of those situations where I want to do something simple. We don’t do many things that are unnecessary, but it’s like, ‘Let’s get him in here now so people can discuss it for a week and get it out of their system and then he can come back to really work.’ I didn’t want the guy’s work to be confused with his introduction.”
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Only time will tell if Bratt is able to break out of Jimmy Smits’ shadow as Bail Organa. However, “Andor” hasn’t let us down yet, so he deserves the chance to show everyone what he’s capable of.
New episodes of “Andor” premiere Tuesdays at 9pm EST on Disney+.