The character of Bix Caleen is close to the heart of the actress who portrayed her Adria Arjona, so it’s no surprise that she would want to return to the character somewhere down the line, and here talking with The Hollywood Reporter she dives into one of the most important and eye-opening moments of Andor; the use of the word ‘rape’ in a GFFA story.
“What happened to Bix in season one is huge, and I think what Tony [Gilroy, Andor’s creator] brilliantly does, by not letting Bix sort of get away with it, is showcase that trauma is incredibly complex and it takes time. It’s not healed in one year,” says Arjona. “I’ve heard the word ‘victim’ used when describing her — hell no, hell no. Bix is so brave. … I think someone who is trying so hard is the hero in their own journey, and I applaud that of Bix.”
Adria Arjona as Bix Caleen in the Disney+ series Andor. Lucasfilm/Disney+
Longtime fans of the movie franchise took issue with the inclusion of an attempted sexual assault scene in the show’s second season, as well as the use of the word “rape,” arguing that the subject matter had no place in that universe. Arjona disagrees.“If you’re going to tell all sides of one story, then you cannot leave out the abuse of power, because it’s part of our history,” she says. “The fact that I got to say those words [“He tried to rape me”] in the world of Star Wars meant a lot. I felt a great honor and I reached out to a lot of women, and I really felt like I had all these women holding my hand through that scene. It was the way that they wish they would’ve reacted if they were in that situation again. Saying those words, that’s not easy.”
