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Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘She's got tunnel vision': Wendi McLendon-Covey reveals what she loves most about her character Joyce on ‘St. Denis Medical'
'It was, like, four hours after we were canceled, and that's no joke.' That's how long it took for Wendi McLendon-Covey to receive the first script for St. Denis Medical after the demise of her long-running comedy The Goldbergs. As the actress tells Gold Derby, she read the pilot with no expectation of making a series commitment, but she says she became hooked because her character, Joyce, is 'such an oddball and reminded me of so many women supervisors that I had working other jobs.' The transition from one show to another did prove challenging, though, as she shot the first episode of the NBC medical mockumentary while promoting the series finale of her family sitcom and felt like she was 'cheating' on her television family. (Watch our full interview above). McLendon-Covey's character is at the center of the St. Denis Medical cast as the top hospital administrator who tries to motivate the doctors, nurses, and staff of her regional medical center in her quest to make it a destination hospital. Although the character comes across as an 'oddball,' the actress stresses that 'she's not an idiot. She's an accomplished woman who is a doctor.' The television vet crafted a backstory to explain her character's offscreen journey, sharing, 'In my mind, she became an administrator because she got tired of being told how to practice medicine.' But now, instead of battling with insurance companies over patient care, all she does now is 'beg for money all day.' The actress describes this as the 'delicious line' she gets to walk. More from GoldDerby Michelle Williams on 'Dying for Sex,' finding the perfect role and embracing pleasure: 'Can you leave shame at the door?' Marlon Wayans on laughing through tragedy in 'Good Grief' and why social media has made comedy 'toxic' Tony Talk: Dissecting those shocking wins for 'Purpose,' Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss, and full show analysis SEE 'I know this dude!': David Alan Grier explains why he leapt at the chance to play a 'burned-out' doctor on 'St. Denis Medical' McLendon-Covey stars in the series alongside Emmy Award nominee Allison Tolman and Tony Award winner David Alan Grier. While those performers have 'proven track records,' the Emmy-nominated Reno 911! star has been equally impressed with the cast members who she didn't know prior to joining St. Denis. 'When I watch Mekki Leeper, dear God, just take me out, turn the cameras off me because I'm laughing my head off,' exclaims the actress, continuing, 'Same with Josh Lawson, same with Kaliko [Kauahi], who can level me with one line delivery per episode. She knows how to get in, say her thing, steal all the focus, and get out. Kahyun [Kim], I'm so impressed with her because she learned English from watching television in her twenties. She's fantastic.' Joyce's relationship with Grier's character, the burned out doctor Ron, has emerged as one of the most pivotal in the series, as the snark they show toward one another thinly masks deeply-held respect. 'We haven't talked about it that much. We had a meeting of the minds and started playing it the same way,' the actress says of the duo's dynamic. The series has revealed that the two doctors were residents together at St. Denis decades ago, so the performer hopes Season 2 will feature a flashback to those years, confessing, 'I do want to see what they (a) looked like in the '90s, and (b) how that worked out when they were working 18-hour shifts together.' WATCH our video interview with Allison Tolman, 'St. Denis Medical' One of McLendon-Covey's best episodes from the first season, 'Listen to Your Ladybugs,' follows the hospital's awareness campaign to encourage women to get their mammograms in a timely fashion. But when Joyce gets her screening for the cameras, it turns up an inconclusive spot that needs further testing, causing Joyce to panic. 'We're just playing the reality of working in a hospital, and things turn on a dime. Sometimes you're the ones getting the bad news,' stresses the actress about why the installment works so effectively. The Bridesmaids star also reveals that Joyce's situation, in which a mammogram led to a more invasive biopsy, happened to her. Just like her character, the McLendon-Covey says, 'Mammograms suck! It is like a panini press. This is the best we can do for women? It's humiliating. It hurts. I've got a whole sermon I could preach.' McLendon-Covey most enjoyed shooting the 'big episodes' of St. Denis Medical's first season, including 'Some Famous Internet Guy,' where the hospital hosts a concert for its pediatric patients, and 'Bruce-ic and the Mus-ic,' in which Joyce helps Ron emcee a fundraising gala. The actress says she delights in the installments in which 'there's just chaos going on behind the scenes, and Joyce has to pretend like there isn't any chaos.' She also mentions 'Ho-Ho-Hollo,' the Christmas episode, which finds Joyce suddenly passionate about the hospital going viral online. 'The absurdity of Joyce getting a goal in her mind and trying to reach it … she's got tunnel vision," McLendon-Covey says, "and I like that in a character.' SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Brandon Scott Jones on CBS' 'Ghosts': 'I enjoy playing characters that are desperate' Marlon Wayans on laughing through tragedy in 'Good Grief' and why social media has made comedy 'toxic' Minha Kim 'confronted all new emotions that I had never anticipated' in Season 2 of 'Pachinko' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Talk: Dissecting those shocking wins for ‘Purpose,' Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss, and more
Welcome to Tony Talk, a column in which Gold Derby contributors Sam Eckmann and David Buchanan offer Tony Awards analysis. Mere hours after the 2025 Tonys, we reconvene to dissect the shocking wins, highlight our favorite victors, and discuss the musical performances. David Buchanan: After a truly sensational Broadway season, last night's Tony Awards didn't disappoint with some surprises, did it? If folks have been reading our weekly column, they probably did pretty well with their predictions and would've seen some of these upsets coming — I shockingly tied for first place worldwide! — but there were still some wins that were hard to call correctly in the moment but were predictable in hindsight. One of those categories was Best Play. We knew that this would be a squeaker between frontrunner Oh, Mary! and challengers Purpose and John Proctor Is the Villain, but very few Gold Derby users correctly called the win for the Pulitzer victor. Do you think the fact that voters recognized performer and playwright Cole Escola with a Best Actor win led them to go with the drama with more gravitas for the top prize? More from GoldDerby Behind the scenes at the Tony Awards: From Darren Criss to Andrew Lloyd Weber, backstage at Broadway's biggest night 'Legend of Zelda' movie delayed, Snoop Dogg biopic cast, and more of today's top stories Minha Kim 'confronted all new emotions that I had never anticipated' in Season 2 of 'Pachinko' Sam Eckmann: Congratulations on your top score! There were so many insanely close races last night, so picking the correct choice in each coin toss was tough. Part of the victory for Purpose came down to the strength of the entire Best Play field. Voters were fans of all of these plays, so a full sweep for Oh, Mary! wasn't in the cards. The classic trope of wanting to reward a script that feels 'important' helped push Purpose over the edge in the top race. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is also the 'it' writer of the moment in New York. Couple these points with the fact that Escola has a guaranteed win in Lead Actor, and it does make sense that a different production squeaked past Mary Todd Lincoln in the top race. Speaking of performers, I'm kicking myself for dropping Darren Criss at the last minute for Jonathan Groff in Lead Actor in a Musical. Clearly voters were head over heels for Maybe Happy Ending. Is it safe to say the overall enthusiasm for that musical is what tipped the scales for Criss? SEE 'Every beat is meticulously crafted': An oral history of the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play 'Purpose' Buchanan: I think so! In such an incredibly strong season for new musicals, it was not a guarantee that Maybe Happy Ending would sweep the pivotal categories of Director, Book, and Score on its way to its likely Best Musical victory. But once it started cleaning up during the ceremony, it would have been shocking if Criss — the sole acting nominee and thus the face of the show – ultimately lost. We both predicted Criss all season long, but The New York Times Tony voter survey led many folks astray by claiming Groff had the lead for playing Bobby Darin in Just in Time. He would have made for a great winner, as you can glimpse from the Tony performance last night just how high energy and charismatic he is throughout that show. But at the end of the day, Criss is also giving a strong performance in what is clearly a better-written musical. Do you think a similar dynamic tipped the scales for Nicole Scherzinger over Audra McDonald? I think most folks would say that Gypsy is one of if not the best musical of all time, but voters were clearly more taken by Jamie Lloyd's radical reinterpretation of Sunset Boulevard than George C. Wolfe's version of Gypsy. Eckmann: I admit that I was definitely swayed for the first time (in the wrong direction) by the voter survey in The New York Times. It's normally the best barometer for the Tony Awards, so the fact that it wasn't totally accurate points to how fiercely close so many of these votes were. This was definitely the case in the McDonald-vs.-Scherzinger battle. I think that once again, the victory went to the performer in the production that was more popular with voters. McDonald was the only potential win for this revival of Gypsy, whereas Sunset Boulevard was strong enough to win Lighting Design and Musical Revival. Were there any other wins during the night that had you cheering? As a huge Purpose fan I'm sure you enjoyed Kara Young prevailing for the second year in a row. SEE 2025 Tony Awards first-timers club: Half of this year's acting winners triumphed for their Broadway debuts Buchanan: Yes, the two wins for Purpose were by far my favorites of the night! I predicted Young, but it was by no means a guarantee that she would win in that incredible field which included Jessica Hecht and Fina Strazza. But there is just no denying that Young is a generational talent and so supremely kind and charismatic to boot, so it is absolutely fitting and thrilling that she is one of the very few performers to win back-to-back at the Tonys and the first Black performer to do so, too. I will remember her performance as Aziza and her growing disillusionment over her night with the Jasper family for a very long time. I'm also delighted that Tony voters found a way to acknowledge Jacobs-Jenkins' brilliant, Pulitzer-winning play and Cole Escola in the same ceremony. While I'm sure Escola would have loved to win both prizes, I think the way they split the trophies — plus giving Oh, Mary! the directing prize for Sam Pinkleton — was very "appropriate," Jacobs-Jenkins pun intended. As a champion of the show since its off-Broadway days, were the two Oh, Mary! wins your favorites of the night? And what were some of the snubs or complete shut-outs that stung the most? Eckmann: I was so thrilled for Pinkleton! Oh, Mary! simply would not work the way it does without his guiding hand. In our current political moment, it's truly powerful to see that this radically queer work of bizarre genius can be a financial smash on Broadway and win mainstream awards. I was similarly ecstatic for Francis Jue, who managed to win Featured Actor even though Yellow Face lost Play Revival. He was truly one of the breakout stars of the campaign trail, and this was a wonderful way to honor not only his moving performance, but also his incredible career in the theater. It's hard to be mad at any of these wins because the season was just so strong. But I will continue to say that Real Women Have Curves should have been a Best Musical nominee. I wish there were more places for it to be rewarded last night. Alas, its only real shot was for Justina Machado, but Natalie Venetia Belcon has long had Featured Actress in a Musical sewn up. At least Real Women managed to secure a performance on the telecast, and I hope folks are inspired to buy tickets. The show has a gigantic heart that deserves to be celebrated. Speaking of performances, I think I was most moved by the host Cynthia Erivo and Sara Bareilles duetting on 'Tomorrow' from Annie during the In Memoriam segment. The image of them holding each other as they looked back at the image of the late Gavin Creel had me at a puddle of tears, and reinforced the theme of community which seemed to dominate this telecast. In a world where we constantly analyze winners and losers of the industry's biggest award, it was a needed reminder that everyone in attendance is truly a winner just for the opportunity to be in that room. SEE 2025 Tony Awards: 'Maybe Happy Ending' dominates with 6 wins, Nicole Scherzinger shocks with Best Actress win over Audra McDonald Buchanan: Beautifully said, and I agree seeing Bareilles' reaction at the end of the In Memoriam was incredibly powerful! I also loved Harvey Fierstein's Lifetime Achievement Award speech on the Tony Awards: Act One telecast and his message that he feels like he accidentally fell into his exceptional career in the theater after finding his community while painting show posters as an adolescent. It is hard to have too many gripes about the winners this year, but I will confess that I am a bit heartbroken that three of my favorite productions from this sensational Broadway season — Dead Outlaw, Gypsy, and The Hills of California — all went home empty-handed. Victories for David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna in Best Score, Audra McDonald in Best Actress of a Musical, and Laura Donnelly for Best Actress in a Play, respectively, would've made this Tony Awards an all-timer for me, personally. I am glad that Dead Outlaw, Gypsy, and the also-snubbed Just in Time acquitted themselves exceptionally well in their performances; I couldn't be more pleased that McDonald's otherworldly "Rose's Turn" has been recorded on video in an accessible form for posterity, and I'm sure Sunset Boulevard fans feel exactly the same way about Scherzinger's moving "As If We Never Said Goodbye." While we're on the subject of Best Actress in a Musical again, you and I foreshadowed this year's exceptionally close contest exactly one year ago last June when we offered our extremely early 2025 Tony predictions; I can't wait to do that guesswork for the 2026 Tonys with you again any day now, so stay tuned, Broadway fans! SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'Maybe Happy Ending' star Darren Criss on his Tony nomination for playing a robot: 'Getting to do this is the true win' Who Needs a Tony to Reach EGOT? Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Talk: Sarah Snook and Cole Escola remain strong in lead, but upsets loom in the featured play races
Welcome to Tony Talk, a column in which Gold Derby contributors Sam Eckmann and David Buchanan offer Tony Awards analysis. Two weeks away from the 2025 Tony ceremony on June 8, we offer our take on who will win four of the top acting trophies and comment on momentum shifts in the top races. David Buchanan: Last week, we discussed the very close musical acting categories, so it feels fitting to pivot now to the play acting races. Before we do, though, we should touch on the Broadway League's Spring Road Conference, which is geared toward pitching this year's shows as future touring productions and garners a fair share of Tony voter attendees. What have you heard about how the major event might be shaping the top races? More from GoldDerby 'Hacks' renewed for Season 5 ahead of Season 4 finale Iliza Shlesinger's comedy evolution: 'You don't want to be 42 telling the same jokes you told at 22' The mystery of Pedro Pascal's Emmy category solved as HBO's 'The Last of Us' submissions are revealed Sam Eckmann: The annual Spring Road Conference is perhaps the most important week of Tony campaigning. There are just over 100 out-of-town Tony voters, the majority of whom were in New York for this event. They are also seeing the nominated productions, attending post-show talk-backs, and hitting up swanky parties. These soirees also invite local voters in addition to the "road" voters. The biggest parties were the ones thrown by the two musicals that many voters have signaled are their top two contenders: Maybe Happy Ending and Death Becomes Her. The former took over the rooftop lounge at the Edison Hotel, while the latter filled Sony Hall. The stars and creatives were all in attendance, mingling with eager voters. The robots of Maybe Happy Ending still have the edge thanks to the musical's emotional pull, but Death Becomes Her has emerged as a surprising favorite for those who crave a bit of escapism within a splashy musical comedy. Gold Derby's odds only have it winning costume design, but I think upset victories in categories like Best Book of a Musical or Choreography are definitely possible now. Elsewhere, Oh, Mary! invited legendary playwright Tony Kushner to lead a talk-back, several great videos of which are circulating online. I guess that's a good place to segue into the acting races, since Cole Escola is still ahead by a mile (or at least the length of Mary Todd's hoop skirt) for Lead Actor in a Play. Do you think anyone can stop their march to the Radio City stage? Buchanan: At this moment, I really don't see one clear, strong alternative to Escola. With the exception of one or two other performers, there really has not been anyone as buzzed and raved about this Broadway season as them, and deservedly so. It is a very, very different performance from the ones that often garner Tonys in this category, but we have had purely comedic victors this century (James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors; Kevin Kline, Present Laughter), and Escola's zany turn definitely ranks among them. I believe they'll triumph even if there's an unexpected, unlikely upset in Best Play. Assuming you agree about how strong Escola's chances are, who do you think would be the likeliest challenger? Eckmann: Louis McCartney has earned admiration for his physically demanding role in Stranger Things: The First Shadow. I would rank him in second place because the level of difficulty is just so obvious. Daniel Dae Kim would become the first ever Asian-American winner of this category, after making history as the first such nominee. I think both of these nominees will get a smattering of votes, but Escola's performance is one-of-a-kind and has turned Oh, Mary! into the must-see event of the season. There is a similar lock in Lead Actress of a Play, where Sarah Snook has led our odds all season long for The Picture of Dorian Gray. I know Laura Donnelly has plenty of fans for her impressive dual roles in The Hills of California, but Dorian Gray is still running, and even voters who are mixed on the overall production are in awe of Snook's technical prowess on stage. Interestingly, I've talked to several voters who have waxed poetically about Sadie Sink in John Proctor Is the Villain. But after they finish telling me how powerful she was, especially in the play's final scene, they say that they're ultimately voting for Snook. Sink doesn't dominate her play the way Snook or Donnelly do in their productions, and I have to wonder if Sink could have had an easy victory if she submitted in featured actress instead of lead. Is anything swaying you away from predicting Snook here? Buchanan: No, I think we're in lockstep in our predictions in this category, too. Were The Hills of California still running, I would rank Donnelly's prospects a lot higher, but I think the December closing date will be too challenging to overcome when there is such a buzzy, acclaimed performance in an open show for voters to choose. Sink is indeed exceptional in John Proctor, too, and I ultimately believe her category placement is the correct one, given that her character is the main topic of conversation in the scenes that occur before she arrives. Even if John Proctor garners a healthy number of votes in Best Play, I just don't quite think she can overcome Snook. The same goes for stage veteran LaTanya Richardson Jackson in Purpose. As with Sink, she could have been deemed eligible in featured and perhaps had a better chance of winning there. Speaking of Featured Actress in a Play, let's turn to that category, where Sink's costar Fina Strazza and Jackson's costar Kara Young are both strong contenders. Are you betting on one of them or going with the category frontrunner, Jessica Hecht for Eureka Day? Eckmann: This is where things get interesting as all five women have a strong case. I've moved Fina Strazza into the first place position. I have encountered an enormous amount of voter love for John Proctor Is the Villain. With Oh, Mary! the box-office and zeitgeist juggernaut of the plays, John Proctor has flown comparatively under the radar. So it's the show that makes voters feel like they've discovered something cool. This sense of discovery is quite powerful in the world of awards voting. A similar thing happened with The Outsiders last year, which had relatively minimal buzz until the very end of the season when it surged for Best Musical. I knew The Outsiders was going to land a major surprise win, I didn't follow my gut, which told me Danya Taymor would pull off an upset for director. Now I feel like John Proctor is similarly poised for a surprise victory somewhere, and featured actress makes a ton of sense. English fans are passionate, but the equally excellent Marjan Neshat and Tala Ashe could split the vote. Kara Young's popularity with voters cannot be overlooked, but she just took home a Tony last year. In order to win back-to-back, I think the performance has to be absolutely undeniable. As thrilling as Young is in Purpose, we clearly have other viable nominees who have never won. Then there's Jessica Hecht who delivers what is easily one of the best monologues this season in Eureka Day. She's a true "actor's actor," a veteran who has never won and could easily take this. But Eureka Day has been closed for months and I don't feel like it made the same impact as some other fall and winter shows. That leaves me with Strazza, whose character is at the heart of John Proctor. We watch the actress chart a delicate journey from skeptic to believer in a truly committed performance that would make you believe this is her 20th Broadway show, not just her second. And the play is so beloved that voters will be looking for a place to reward it. Am I totally overthinking this and we should just call it for Hecht? SEE Tony Talk: Predicting the tricky musical acting categories including Audra McDonald vs. Nicole Scherzinger Buchanan: You're not overthinking the category at all! I love your prediction for Strazza. Beth is such a great character and she portrays her so well. The audience is immediately endeared to her perfectionism, but she pulls the rug out from under us in the second half of the play as we watch her grapple with big emotions and navigate an increasingly bad situation. But for now, I am actually predicting Young. As you said about John Proctor, I think voters may be looking for a place to reward Purpose, especially given that the nominators voted for five of its six ensemble members, and in many ways, Young fits that bill. I agree that the role of Aziza might not be undeniable, but there's no question Young has demonstrated incredible range with these two different characters from two different centuries. Her character is also the audience proxy into the world of the influential Jasper family of the play, and watching her increasing alienation from those she once revered made for a riveting watch. We've also seen two instances of back-to-back winners in the past decade-plus in the play categories (Judith Light and Laurie Metcalf), and I feel Young could easily follow in their footsteps, even though she hasn't been in the industry nearly as long. This could be an instance, though, where the frontrunner does prevail, as Hecht is also beloved in the industry and has been getting more and more opportunities to shine in recent Broadway seasons. Speaking of overthinking, let's touch on Featured Actor now. Conrad Ricamora has a very commanding lead there for his truly original performance as Abraham Lincoln in Oh, Mary!, but there's a sizable contingent of backers for Francis Jue in Yellow Face. How do you see this category unfolding? Eckmann: I've had Ricamora out front all season, but it's not a lock. Normally, you would think that Ricamora would sail to victory since he is in the most popular show, which is still running during the voting period. He is also fully committed to all the wild twists and turns of Escola's script. Watching Ricamora's frustrated Abe try to control this demented Mary Todd Lincoln is one of the highlights of the season. But Jue is helped immensely by the PBS Great Performances broadcast of Yellow Face, which allows voters to remind themselves of all the nuances of his performance. As David Henry Hwang's father, Jue is a joyous presence, and the beating heart of the play. When his character is interrogated and his American dream shattered it's an absolute gut-punch. It's shockingly more relevant now than when the play debuted, thanks to the White House's crackdown on immigrants. Jue has also earned great admiration for years of beloved Off-Broadway performances like Soft Power and Cambodian Rock Band, so voters will feel good about rewarding a veteran of the New York stage. When I attended a special advance screening of Yellow Face, it was telling that Jue earned the biggest applause of the cast. Folks are quite endeared to him. I think the vote will be awfully close between these two men, though if a spoiler exists, I am once again going down the John Proctor route with Gabriel Ebert's charming but sneakily smarmy teacher. What's your read of the race? SEE Latest Tony Awards odds: 'Maybe Happy Ending' and 'Oh, Mary!' maintain their leads, Best Actress in a Musical tightens Buchanan: I am predicting Jue for many of the reasons you've noted. When I saw Yellow Face back in October, I walked away most impressed with his performance, from his grasp of the humor of the role and then the heartbreak in those final, harrowing scenes, especially the chilling interrogation. Yellow Face certainly doesn't need to pick up an acting prize to win Best Play Revival, but I think these two trophies could go hand-in-hand this year. SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Who Needs a Tony to Reach EGOT? Sadie Sink on her character's 'emotional rage' in 'John Proctor Is the Villain' and her reaction to 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' 'It should be illegal how much fun I'm having': Lea Salonga on playing Mrs. Lovett and more in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adria Arjona discusses her ‘Andor' farewell: ‘There's so much hope in that scene'
Andor. Adria Arjona remembers how she found out that she would be in the final shot of Andor with a baby in tow. Show creator Tony Gilroy broke the news to her almost casually, considering how meticulously detailed and thought-out Andor always seems. More from GoldDerby Jeremy Allen White and Austin Butler team up for 'Enemies,' Maya Hawke joins 'Hunger Games' prequel, 'Smurfs' trailer drops, and more top news Tony Talk: Predicting the tricky musical acting categories including Audra McDonald vs. Nicole Scherzinger 'Gypsy' Tony nominee Joy Woods takes Louise from 'apologetic' to 'powerful' 'He told me in passing, because he's so cool like that,' Arjona says of Gilroy. 'He was like, 'Oh, by the way, kid, the last shot is going to be you.' I was like, 'What? What do you mean? And I'm holding what, a baby? When does Bix get pregnant? Do you see me pregnant? Do you not see me pregnant?' And he was like, 'Relax, kid. Let me write it and I'll send it to you.' So I knew that that was going to happen.' That last scene is Arjona's singular appearance as Bix Caleen in the final three episodes of Andor. When Bix broke up with her hero, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), via a 'Dear John' video message at the end of Episode 9, it seemed like that was the last viewers would see of her (especially considering the character is not part of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Arjona did everything she could to make that breakup message feel emotional and final. 'We filmed it practically, like she would've filmed it,' Arjona tells Gold Derby. 'So I was alone, and Cassian was sleeping, and I would walk from the bedroom and go by the table and start recording, and the first four [takes] were not usable at all.' Arjona continues, 'I'm spilling all my tea, but they weren't usable because I was so emotional. It was the first time in my career that I allowed my emotions to get involved; I am hired because I can control my emotions, you know what I mean? But I couldn't control it. It meant so much to me and I respect and love Rogue One so much that propelling one of your favorite characters into a movie that you love so dearly was something that I couldn't get over until finally I shed that and Bix took over, and it's the scene that you see.' While the breakup message was a hard goodbye, Bix's final scene carries the promise that all the sacrifices will be worth it for the future, a long-running theme of Star Wars. 'I think there's so much hope in that scene,' Arjona says. 'There's something really beautiful that Bix always says throughout this entire season, 'He's going to come back.' She has no doubt in Cassian, and when you don't have any doubt in someone, you inflict so much confidence. That's sort of what Tony Gilroy has been for me in my life. He's never doubted me. He's only inflicted confidence in me, and that's what Bix is for Cassian.' Arjona admits it's bittersweet to say goodbye to Andor after working on it for years, but she hopes to remember everything she learned on the most acclaimed Star Wars show. 'It's going to be tough to top this one,' Arjona says. 'It's been such a beautiful creative team. I got to work with some of the best of the best, from hair and makeup to costumes to production design to directors, writers, and actors. I've learned so much in this show. I mean, it's really been one of my greatest schools. Anywhere I looked, there was a lesson there for me, and I really grew up in this show in many ways over six years. Where I was in my career to where I am now, it's a lot of thanks to the show and to Tony and to Diego who really supported me and believed in me. It is sad to realize that our last episode is coming out. You're just like, 'Oh man, this is it. We gave it our all, and it's all out there.'' Best of GoldDerby 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' star Charlie Vickers breaks down Sauron's emotional reaction to killing Celebrimbor TV directors roundtable: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,' 'Cross,' 'The Daily Show,' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race' 'RuPaul's Drag Race' director Nick Murray on the show's 'intense rehearsal time' and Season 17's 'iconic' interview with Liza Minnelli Click here to read the full article.
