‘Everything I could have hoped for’: Andor star Genevieve O’Reilly reveals why Mon Mothma’s famous speech in the Star Wars show meant so much to her

Andor season 2 episode 9 finally sees Mon Mothma’s infamous Senate speech brought to life
Genevieve O’Reilly said she was “so nervous” about doing justice to the iconic moment
Fans have waited years for it to be depicted in a live-action or animated project

Full spoilers immediately follow for Andor season 2, up to and including episode 9.

Genevieve O’Reilly has revealed why she was “so nervous” about finally delivering Mon Mothma’s famous Senate speech in a Star Wars project.

Before Andor season 2 was released in late April, I sat down with O’Reilly to discuss the scene that’s not only a landmark moment for the Chandrilan Senator but also for O’Reilly.

O’Reilly is renowned for portraying Mon Mothma in Andor on Disney+, but she’s actually played the character in multiple projects since 2005’s Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Throughout her 20-year (and counting!) career as part of Lucasfilm’s legendary sci-fi franchise, O’Reilly has never had the opportunity to bring her character’s hugely significant speech to life before. That’s changed now, though. To the delight of Star Wars fans who’ve waited years for this moment, Mon Mothma finally gets on her proverbial soapbox to denounce Emperor Palpatine for his autocratic rule of that iconic galaxy far, far away.

Benjamin Bratt’s Bail Organa is the only Senator who agrees with Mon Mothma’s stance on the Empire (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

It’s a hugely pivotal moment for Mon Mothma, the nascent Rebel Alliance, and the galaxy as a whole.

Indeed, while Mon Mothma has been part of Luthen’s quickly evolving, galaxy-wide rebellion for years at this point, she’s largely operated in the shadows to keep herself and her family safe from the Galactic Empire’s prying eyes.

All of that is thrown out the window in this season’s ninth episode. The emotionally devastating events in season 2 episode 8, which depicted the Ghorman Massacre in all of its harrowing glory – an event Andor season 2 has laid the groundwork for since its first episode – Mon Mothma decides to take a public stand against the Emperor and those who follow his every whim.

Mon Mothma’s speech has been 20 years in the making for Genevieve O’Reilly (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Addressing the Senate in one of the best Disney+ shows’ latest episodes, Mon Mothma not only condemns Palpatine for the slaughter of innocent and largely peaceful protestors on Ghorman, but outright rejects his tyrannical leadership.

Vilified by her fellow Senators (aside from Bail Organa, anyway, who silently supports her) and knowing that the Empire will come for her, Mon Mothma quickly flees the scene.

With the aid of Cassian Andor, who’s been sent by Luthen Rael to get her to safety, Mon Mothma escapes Coruscant. Off-screen, she’s passed onto the crew of The Ghost, aka the heroes of Star Wars: Rebels, in season 3 episode 18, titled ‘Secret Cargo’, of that animated program. A couple of Rebels characters appear in another live-action series Star Wars: Ahsoka, too, which further highlights the connective tissue between numerous Lucasfilm productions.

Now we know who delivers Mon Mothma to the crew of the Ghost in Rebels’ ‘Secret Cargo’ episode (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

But I digress. Andor has been building towards this significant Mon Mothma moment ever since we were reintroduced to her in mid-2022. O’Reilly has also harbored ambitions of giving this speech for almost two decades, too, so how did it feel to finally deliver it in one of 2025’s new Star Wars shows?

“The opportunity to give that speech, as well as the lead up to it, was everything I could have hoped for,” O’Reilly replied.

“I was so nervous that, because it’s existed previously in canon, we might not get to visit it. But what [showrunner] Tony [Gilroy] did, which was so clever, is carve a space to allow us to see that moment.

I was so nervous that… we might not get to visit it
Genevieve O’Reilly

“I think it makes sense of everything about her,” O’Reilly continued, “And not just her. It makes sense of our show. If sacrifice is at the cost of everyone, Mon has to understand and be at peace with what she has to sacrifice.

“I also think it’s important to mention that a voice can be powerful. It’s not about the fact that we pick up weapons, but perhaps a voice can shift things, and that speaks to everything that is why I think Mon Mothma is valuable to the rebellion.”

Andor season 2 episodes 1 to 9 are out now on Disney+. The final three chapters will air on May 13 (US) and May 14 (UK and Australia).