Fiona Shaw

"Isn't [Maarva Andor] like all of us, that we're all rebels if we could have the confidence to be so?"

―Fiona Shaw^[3]

Fiona Shaw is an Irish actress who played Maarva Andor in the Andor television series. Shaw starred in numerous plays, films, and television series, beginning her career as a classical stage actress and winning the 1990 and 1994 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Actress for her roles in the plays Electra, As You Like It, and The Good Person of Szechwan, and Machinal. She was made an honorary Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 and is known for playing Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter film series and Carolyn Martens in the BBC series Killing Eve, for which she won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in 2019.

Biography[]

Fiona Shaw was born in Cork, Ireland.^[1] In 1979, she saw Star Wars for the first time and could not believe her eyes.^[4] Executive producer^[5] and writer Tony Gilroy asked Shaw if she would be part of the Andor television series, and she was delighted by his enthusiasm for the project.^[6] She was drawn into the story by the complexity of family life, which she views as an enriching way to live.^[7] Shaw was happy to join Star Wars to play^[6] Maarva Andor, the adoptive mother of Cassian Andor.^[5] She liked how Gilroy's complex writing made the show similar to European or Russian films, and the show was a domestic investigation set in a metallic world.^[4]

She thought that the show was a great tale of morality because it showed how individuals should keep an eye on the people in power. She liked how Star Wars is dealing with psychology and emotional vocabulary. Shaw viewed her character as a pilgrim wandering through the universe and trying not to look at Imperial power.^[8] She wondered if Maarva forgot to have kids due to her and her husband, Clem Andor, being too busy wandering the galaxy.^[4] Shaw first met Diego Luna, the actor who played Cassian Andor, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID production protocols, the actors wore a mask during rehearsals, though Shaw managed to get a sense of Luna's compassion and kindness. Shaw thought it was interesting how the people of Ferrix help each other instead of showing off.^[7]

Andor Maarva Andor poster — Fiona Shaw as Maarva Andor in her character poster

When Shaw went in for her costume fitting, she was impressed by the hundreds of different costumes that had different aesthetics for each planet.^[6] Shaw loved the idea of the linen jumpsuit that costume designer Michael Wilkinson's team deveoped for her. He thought she looked great in the clothes and carried so much.^[9] Scenes on Ferrix were filmed in an intricate set in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire.^[8] According to Tony Gilroy, everything on Ferrix was filmed first.^[10] One of the first scenes Shaw and Luna filmed together was an argument in their house.^[7] Shaw was very impressed by the amount of detail present in the Ferrix set, which made her feel like she must bring what she can.^[6] She also thought that the house was breathtaking, and she would often go out to stare at it.^[11] Shaw found playing an older character interesting because Maarva has compressed her values to what she think matters.^[7] She also liked how Maarva had a very different earlier life, and she was completely needed for Andor's life, making her an ignition key to the Rebellion.^[6]

Shaw, Luna, and Antonio Viña, young Kassa's actor, worked together to shape Maarva's journey as an adoptive mother. Shaw enjoyed filming the scenes on Kenari, and she felt Maarva and Kassa saved each other because the latter gave her purpose and love. She found it lovely how Maarva kept the droid B2EMO and they got old together.^[7] She enjoyed working with B2EMO because he has personality and understands Maarva. Shaw loved getting to reunite with Adria Arjona, the actress who played Bix Caleen, though they did not share any scenes together.^[6]

Shaw enjoyed the line "That's what a reckoning sounds like" because it suggested Maarva has experienced turbulence before.^[4] In an interview released in August, 2022, she said that Gilroy's story is a "scurrilous" and "social-realist" take on "the Trumpian world" that was "exploding in different places right now" with people's rights being taken away.^[12] In September, Shaw attended the Andor launch event in Hollywood, California.^[13]

Works[]

Filmography[]

Year	Title	Series	Contribution(s)
2022	"That Would Be Me"	Andor	Maarva Andor^[5]
2022	"Reckoning"	Andor	Maarva Andor^[14]
2022	"Announcement"	Andor	Maarva Andor^[15]
2022	"Narkina 5"	Andor	Maarva Andor^[16]
2022	"Rix Road"	Andor	Maarva Andor^[17]