Since its debut, “Andor” has stood apart as the most grounded and politically resonant entry in the “Star Wars” canon, earning acclaim for its mature storytelling and character-driven lens on rebellion. In its second and final season, the series deepens its portrait of life under authoritarian rule, and few characters bear that emotional weight more powerfully than Bix Caleen, portrayed with aching nuance by Adria Arjona.
While Bix first appeared in season one as a mechanic and longtime ally to Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), it’s in season two that Arjona’s performance fully comes into focus. Her expanded role includes one of the most jarring and consequential moments in “Star Wars” history, an assault in Episode 3, where Bix screams the word “rape,” marking a devastating first for the franchise. The scene is as shocking as it is essential, signaling the show’s refusal to look away from the real cost of fascism, despite being within the same universe that brought us cuddly Ewoks and Grogu.
“It was actually really important for me to be the one chosen out of this whole cast to sort of tell that side of this galaxy,” Arjona says. “It’s a mirroring image of our world… assault happens in the United States, in Latin America, in Africa, in Europe. And it also happens in a galaxy far, far away.” The rawness of the moment, anchored in Arjona’s stillness and vulnerability, reframes “Andor” not as fantasy, but as political tragedy.
The trauma doesn’t end there. Over the course of the season, Bix wrestles with psychological torture, addiction, and a profound sense of shame. And yet her journey is not defined by suffering, it’s one of survival and rediscovery. “She desperately wants to be a part of the rebellion and something bigger than herself,” Arjona shares. “There’s so much shame in where she’s been, but then to have this moment of power, it just felt like this huge release.”
That release comes in a cathartic act of revenge late in the season, as Bix confronts the man who destroyed her life. “It just felt so good to be able to be like, ‘You did this to me and so many others. Now you get a little taste of your own medicine,’” Arjona says. “I’m not a vengeful person, but it felt right that I could do that for someone I love, which is [my character] Bix.”
Across season two, Bix Caleen becomes something more than a supporting character, she becomes the soul of the rebellion. Arjona captures her quiet strength and devastating losses with uncommon restraint. “You kind of have two choices,” she reflects. “Either you’re going to become a victim, or you’re going to find strength in these moments.” Through Bix, Arjona finds the latter and gives “Andor” one of its most unforgettable performances.
Arjona spoke with Awards Focus about stepping into Bix’s expanded arc in season two, navigating its most painful scenes, and what it meant to portray resilience in the face of unimaginable trauma.
Awards Focus: It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve written that “Andor” Seasons One and Two, added to “Rogue One” might be the best trilogy in the entire “Star Wars” universe. I heard you were already a fan of “Star Wars” before even joining the first season?
Adria Arjona: Mhm. And the crazy thing is that, you know, call me cheesy or whatever it is, but “A New Hope” and “Rogue One” were always my favorite, and I actually auditioned for another “Star Wars” movie, and I was really upset that I didn’t get it because I always wanted just—I just really wanted to be in “Star Wars”. And I didn’t get it. I got really upset. And then I ended up being a part of “Andor”, which has a complete direct connection with “A New Hope” and “Rogue One”. So it just kind of was written in the stars. I just feel really lucky and honored that I get to play a part of, you know, of this trilogy.
AF: When you got the scripts for Season Two, what was your initial reaction especially given how much more emotionally demanding material you were given compared to Season One?
Arjona: You know, the funny thing is that Tony really—Tony works in a very different way where things aren’t secretive beforehand, like he’s writing and calling you and being like, “Oh, by the way, this is sort of where your character is going to go.” So before starting Season Two, I already sort of knew where Bix was going to go. And I thought that was so generous and beautiful that Tony kind of gave us that gift to sort of digest these little turns that we were going to have to do and the time jumps. So we never really get a lot of time as actors to prepare, but Tony made sure that we did.
And I hadn’t read the scenes specifically. So when I read the material, I was shocked at how far he pushed Bix and how much he believed in me as an actress and challenged me with every single twist and turn. And he was just like, “You got this, kid, you got this.” And that sort of gave me the confidence to play all these twists and turns. Can you imagine reading it?
AF: You’ve taken on some iconic roles in huge franchises from “Star Wars” to “Marvel” and “True Detective”—but your career path feels remarkably intentional. What guides your decisions at this stage?
Arjona: Well, man, it’s— it’s hard. That’s probably the hardest part, because there’s a part of me that I still feel so excited that I get to do what I love, and all I want to do is just say yes to everything because I’m, you know, as an actor, sometimes you fear that you’re never going to work again, even though it’s not true.
So every opportunity that comes my way, I’m just like, yes, I want to do it. Please be good. Please be good. And I think part of my growing up in this industry has been to learn the word no. And it’s a struggle and it’s a lot harder, I think. Or maybe it’s just really hard for me. But, you know, I just really like to work. And I respect so many artists that I’m like, I want to work with them, but it’s not necessarily for me.
So when it comes to picking, I kind of—I don’t read loglines and I don’t read the first page of any script. I don’t read the title, I don’t read who wrote it, and I don’t want to know who’s directing it. I’ll just read the script and see if the character sort of pops out for me. And sometimes it does, and then it matches with a great writer or it matches with a great director.
I just feel like sometimes you can be biased if, you know, if you know that Scorsese is directing the movie, you’re like, “Oh, this is going to be amazing.” You know what I mean? And I just really want to stay truthful to something that I—you know, that I could play a character and that character will challenge me. And it’s kind of this dance of entertaining myself while also entertaining many other people. I don’t want to keep playing that same role, because I’m going to get bored.
So when picking, it goes into that, into the heartbeat of the character. And then who am I going to spend three to four months with is also super important for me. You know, you don’t get that time back. And I think it’s something a lot of people don’t realize. We spend a lot of time with the people we work with, and that’s a big part of my decision making.
AF: You’re at the center of one of the season’s most powerful and unsettling scenes—something we’ve never seen portrayed in “Star Wars” before. How did you approach preparing for a moment that emotionally raw and difficult?
Arjona: It was—it’s been probably one of the most challenging scenes that I’ve done, that one and one that I don’t know if we can necessarily talk about, but it’s a big decision that Bix makes. But those two scenes in the season have been probably some of the hardest things I’ve ever done. And I didn’t take this lightly.
It was Episode Three, and Episode Three to me meant so much, and it was actually really important for me to be the one chosen out of this whole cast to sort of tell that side of this galaxy. You know, it’s a mirroring image of our world and the world we live in. Assault happens in the United States, happens in Latin America, happens in Africa, happens in Europe, happens all over the world. So to be able to showcase that felt really important. You know, and it also happens in a galaxy far, far away. The abuse of power is incredibly real.
And when it came to preparing for it, I have friends and family members that are victims of sexual assault, and I really reached out. And through the stories—it’s funny, because they gave me so much strength. I wasn’t allowed to talk about the scene, but I shared the scene with a lot of people who I was talking to, and a lot of them were like, “Oh man, I wish that’s how I would have reacted.” You know, “I wish I would have backslapped,” or “I wish I would have had this—been able to really cause an effect on this person.” And that kind of gave me power, that I had all these women next to me when doing that scene.
And I think the most important thing for me and the most beautiful thing was that I actually say the word yes. I scream the word, and that to me was incredibly powerful. And it’s something that I’ve heard through stories, and everyone’s story is completely different. But it was one of the things that was the hardest for someone to ever say. So the fact that she says it—it’s really powerful. And I feel really honored that I got to portray that in a galaxy far, far away.
AF: Midseason, Bix confronts and takes revenge on her tormentor from Season One. Was that scene cathartic for you to film?
Arjona: Some of these moments, you kind of take personal in a way. Bix has gone through so much. I’ve gone through so much while playing this character. And every time I’m like, “Oh man, Doctor Gor really messed up Bix,” and she’s having nightmares and then she gets addicted to a substance to try to help her sleep. She desperately wants to be a part of the rebellion and be a part of something bigger than herself.
She has learned through Doctor Gor about vulnerability and asking for help, but she’s also felt so much shame. You know, when Luthen comes and sees her at the state that she’s in, there’s so much shame in that scene, and it was really heartbreaking. But then to have this moment of power—she gets to do things herself. It just felt like this huge release, like Bix was finally going to come out of her shell and be like, “I’m back.”
Obviously trauma is more complicated than that, and we jump a year, so we don’t know how she restructured herself until we see her again. But it just felt so good to be able to be like, “You did this to me and so many other people. Now you get a little taste of your own medicine.” And then, you know, Diego pressing that button—or Cassian pressing that button—and it’s that big explosion, I just felt like a really great release for her.
I’m not a vengeful person, so my psyche doesn’t work like that at all. I would never think to do that. But it was just cool to be able to play that and go to that place for someone that I love, which is Bix. It felt right that I could do that.
AF: It’s such a boss moment! You just hinted at this, so I have to ask: what parts of Bix feel closest to who you are?
Arjona: I mean, I’m actually—I don’t know. I don’t know. She’s a bit more of a tomboy. She likes working with machinery and getting her hands dirty. And I’m very much like that. I love pickup trucks and vintage pickup trucks, and I get my hands dirty with it. In order to turn it on, I have to open the hood, connect the battery, connect the other thing, put it down, and then the car maybe will start or won’t start. And then I might be on time or late to a meeting. That’s just how I kind of live my life.
So I do like to get my hands dirty. Through Bix, I could tell you what I’ve learned. When everything sort of happens around you, you kind of have two choices—either you’re going to become a victim or you’re going to find strength in these moments. And I think Bix has such a beautiful dignity, and I’ve learned that from her. And it means asking for help. It means, “I’m not doing so well. I need some help.” She learns that towards the end, and I learned that with her.
So I think one thing that I’m similar to her is if I don’t know something, I will always be like, “I don’t know what that is.” Or if I need help, I will ask for help. I’m not a superwoman.
AF: So much of Bix’s strength comes through in silence. You carry her pain and trauma without a lot of dialogue or exposition. As an actor, how did you approach conveying so much through stillness and restraint?
Arjona: I’m really lucky that I got to work with people that made me feel really safe. And I think in order to go to these places, the group around you sort of has to hold you in many ways. So I worked with Ari very closely. Tony Gilroy is—you know, he’s like a godfather to me in a way, in this industry. And I rely on him a lot. Um, and working with Diego as well—you know, we’ve—this is the second season of something. So we’ve spent so much more time together. We’ve been together for six years, have gone through a pandemic, a writers’ strike, directors—like all of it we’ve done together. So to go to these places, at least that’s how I am as an actress, the collaboration that surrounds me really held me in many ways to really be fearless and just go to these places.
And it’s pretty healing in many ways. You know, I think being an actor, the most beautiful thing about being an actor is that you’re dealing with all your own traumas through the traumas of another character, as opposed to, you know, just staying busy and going on with life and kind of just shoving things under a rug. I’m lucky that my job helps me sort of heal—heals things throughout a character. So, um, yeah, I think support and your filming community is important. At least to me it is.
AF: Joining the “Star Wars” universe hasn’t always been easy for actors, especially with intense fan reactions and the pressure of social media. How has the experience been for you personally?
Arjona: You know, it’s been beautiful. I love “Star Wars.” I’ve been a part of this community on the other end. You know, I’ve been a fan for so long and I felt really embraced. And in many ways, I think people really feel for Bix and everything that she goes through. And I hope that they love where she ends up this season.
But, you know, at the end of the day, once you create something and you make something, it doesn’t belong to me anymore. It belongs to them and belongs to all the fans. And going to Comic-Con and going to Star Wars Celebration, you get to experience that love that they have towards the universe that you’ve been living in, you know, in secret for so long. And look, it’s for them. So I hope they like it.
I have felt nothing but embrace and I feel incredibly lucky for that. I mean, some things are a little bit more controversial than others, especially with this show. But I think once everyone realizes just the impact of showcasing and mirroring our world in a galaxy far, far away is—you know, it’s important. And this show is all about community. And right now, I was in Star Wars Celebration and I was like, our show is about characters and our show is about community, and this is a community. We’re telling the story about people joining together because they love something or believe in something. And that’s exactly what it felt like to be in Star Wars Celebration. So it was kind of funny how life kind of mimics art sometimes.
AF: “Star Wars” doesn’t let go. You’ll be immortalized on action figures, trading cards, Funko Pops—how does it feel to be signing autographs of your own likeness?
Arjona: I mean, it’s pretty wild. I also got—you know, a lot of people get—well, there’s something funny. It’s like, people like their action figures or they don’t, and I love mine. I actually look like mine. They did such a great job. So every time I sign one, it’s kind of surreal. It’s surreal to even have a doll. It’s surreal. You know, I just—I still feel so excited that I get to do what I love. And then feeling the love of fans, you know, it’s just—it’s just so cool. It’s so cool.
AF: There’s been a lot of speculation about Bix’s fate, especially since she doesn’t appear in “Rogue One.” What’s been your favorite fan theory about where she ends up?
Arjona: I did this first season where I was reading a lot of stuff and seeing fans’ theories. And this season, I started a little bit before it even aired. And, you know, everyone was like, “Bix is really not gonna make it. She’s not gonna make it. She’s not gonna make it past four.” They’re all really concerned for Bix in so many ways. And I was like, “Oh, interesting.” But then I stopped. I stopped because, again, I love this character so much, and I take it so personal that I’m like, maybe it’s better that I don’t read a lot of this stuff.
AF: I really loved the final scene of “Andor.” Do you think it leaves the door open for more stories with these characters?
Arjona: Oh God. I mean, I hope so. You know, that last scene has so much hope. Again, I love Bix. So I would always—I would always love to go back to her shoes, for sure.
AF: I think everyone would love to see you in those shoes again. It was truly lovely talking to you, and I sincerely hope the Emmys take note—your performance is fantastic, layered, and deeply moving. It’s been a real pleasure.
Arjona: Thank you so much. It means—it means the world.