Andor’s Denise Gough Describes How Power Is A ‘Dangerous Force’ For Her Villainous Character

While Dedra Meero is a woman rising in the ranks in a male-dominated hierarchy, Denise Gough is careful to point out that she’s not really a person you should be rooting for in “Andor” since that hierarchy is evil. They are the Galactic Empire, after all.

“She’s a woman in a man’s world, and you sort of get behind her; you want her to succeed. But then you’re faced with the reality that you’re hoping that a woman will rise up in the ranks of a fascist organization,” Gough told Looper. “What I love is that we’re showing that the effect of power and ambition has the same effect, whether you’re a man or a woman — and if you’re coming from anything like what Dedra is coming from, which is a sense of lack and her need for control, then you can be a very dangerous force if you’re given power.”

As such, Gough said, she’s really enjoying the character dynamic Dedra is presenting to her as an actor. “We’re going to get to see a woman in that position so that we show that it’s not a gender thing, it’s a power thing. The pursuit of power from a place of lack is a dangerous venture for anyone. It can have super dangerous results,” Gough observed. “Certainly, when I started reading the beginning, I was like, ‘I want her to do well. Oh, no, actually I don’t. She’s bad. Is she bad?’ But everyone has light and shade … What you want to bring to a villain character is a sense of humanity, but for the grace of whatever [direction] you believe in going.”

“Andor” is streaming exclusively on Disney+, with new episodes premiering every Wednesday through November 23.