Diego Luna is opening up about his career in a way that few stars of his stature ever do. The Mexican actor and director, currently promoting his latest film Ashes at the San Sebastián Film Festival, spoke candidly about the strange and wonderful experience of leading the Star Wars series Andor, the limitations he faced in Hollywood before that role, and why he believes films that exist only to please audiences are destined to be forgotten.
Luna played Cassian Andor in the Disney+ series, which wrapped its second and final season last year. The show earned him two Golden Globe nominations for best actor and stands as one of the most critically praised entries in the modern Star Wars era. But for Luna, the experience was something he still struggles to put into words. He described it as a phenomenon that is “unlikely” to ever happen to him again.
Why Andor Was a Different Kind of Experience
For Luna, there is a fundamental difference between promoting an independent film and being part of a global franchise like Star Wars. When discussing Ashes, his directorial project that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, he noted the constant effort required to get people into theaters. With Andor, the dynamic was completely reversed.
“With Star Wars, it’s a different story,” Luna said. “It’s the other way around. You come home, and something reminds you it’s already there. There is a level of attention, sure, but that becomes affection and a sense of companionship. It’s really lovely, and it spans generations.” He added that encountering fans who are discovering the universe for the first time, alongside those revisiting something that unlocks childhood memories, is “an experience I can’t compare to anything else, and it’s unlikely it’ll happen to me again.”
That sense of companionship and generational connection is something Luna does not take lightly. He acknowledged that the attention that comes with Star Wars eventually transforms into genuine affection from audiences around the world. It is a level of reach that few projects ever achieve, and Luna is fully aware of how rare it is.
The Two Kinds of Cinema
Luna’s most pointed comments came when he discussed what separates films that endure from those that disappear. He drew a clear line between projects that champion a specific point of view and those that do not.
“When filming a movie, the challenges you face are the same whether it’s a massive production or a smaller one,” Luna explained. “I think what really defines the projects is whether they champion a specific point of view. Then there’s the other kind of cinema, films that lack that vision, that seek only to please, and generally don’t let you be who you want to be. That’s the kind of cinema that gets forgotten very quickly.”
His words cut to the heart of a long-running debate in the entertainment industry. Films designed solely to satisfy audience expectations, without a distinct creative voice behind them, rarely stand the test of time. Luna’s own career reflects a commitment to work that carries a perspective, from his breakout role in Y Tu Mamá También to his performance as Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo in Narcos: Mexico, and now to his work behind the camera.
Hollywood Typecasting and the Roles That Came Before Star Wars
Luna has also been honest about the limitations he faced in Hollywood before joining the Star Wars universe. In previous interviews, he revealed that he was repeatedly offered the same type of role, with little variation.
“Before Star Wars, the only projects I’d get offered would be about drug dealers,” Luna said during a drama actor roundtable that included Walton Goggins and Adam Scott. He noted that even within that narrow lane, there was no real range. He could be the nice drug dealer or the vicious one, but he was still a drug dealer.
Luna eventually did take on a major drug lord role in Narcos: Mexico, playing the co-founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. But the point he made was about the lack of imagination in the offers that came his way for years. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story changed everything. It opened doors that had previously been closed and gave him a platform to take on projects with greater depth and reach.
Ashes and the Stories That Need to Be Told
Luna’s latest directorial effort, Ashes, is adapted from a novel by Brenda Navarro. The film follows Lucila, played by Anna Díaz, and her brother Diego, played by Sergio Bautista, as they try to adjust to life in Madrid after being left behind by their mother, who relocated years earlier in search of better work. The story deals with abandonment, resentment, and the complicated emotions that come with migration.
Speaking about the film, Luna emphasized that he wanted to present a different perspective on immigration, one that is not always filtered through the relationship with the United States. “When we talk about migrants, we’re not thinking about what they left behind,” he said. He added that the questions raised by the film could have been asked a decade ago and will remain relevant ten years from now. “The only certainty we have is that more and more people will move. There are multiple reasons for it today: violence, economic mobility, the climate crisis. It’s an endless list, but the fact remains that people will keep moving, and the issue lies in how we receive them.”
Luna has also connected the film’s themes to his own life. He spoke about the death of his mother and the awareness of not having that figure present, something that runs through the heart of Ashes.
Related:
The Legacy of Cassian Andor
Luna said goodbye to Cassian Andor when filming wrapped on the second season. He described the farewell as “sad” and “painful,” but also acknowledged how fortunate he was to have been part of something so significant. The character’s journey from a cynical survivor to a key figure in the Rebel Alliance resonated with audiences in a way that few Star Wars stories have in recent years.
For Luna, the experience of playing Cassian across Rogue One and two seasons of Andor has been a defining chapter. He has expressed openness to returning to the Star Wars universe, but only if the story is right. For now, his focus is on telling stories that carry meaning, whether through acting or directing.
Also Read: Diego Luna, Nicolas Pereda and Rodrigo Plá to Compete at Mexico’s Morelia Film Festival 2026
Stay connected with VvipTimes for more honest conversations from the world of entertainment.
Leave a Reply