In a galaxy not so far away, a Mexican actor-director named Diego Luna stumbled upon the set of 2016’s Star Wars film, determined to leave his mark. Little did he know that what seemed like an insignificant prop was going to be etched in the pages of Star Wars history. His daring attempt to bring home a beloved jacket from his character has become the stuff of legend.
Diego Luna, who portrayed Captain Cassian Andor in the highly successful Gareth Edwards’ film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, quickly realized the impact of his character’s wardrobe. The actor, 44, shared the little-known tale of how a simple jacket that Lucasfilm let him keep became a symbol of the actor’s perseverance and passion in an interview with Variety last year.
The Legendary ‘Jacket’ That Sealed Diego Luna’s Fate in Rogue One
The Star Wars cast includes Diego Luna, a Mexican-born actor who rose to fame in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2001 masterpiece Y tu mamá también. He became a part of the franchise in 2016 with Rogue One, a prequel that follows a group of rebel spies under the leadership of Cassian Andor, played by Luna. The 44-year-old actor immediately saw the impact his character’s attire could have.
He quipped, laughing, in a 2023 candid conversation with Variety:
“I got the jacket of the character. I really worked for that. I made jokes about it since day one. I was like, “I just got this job because this jacket fits me. Clearly, it’s all about the jacket.”
Little did he know that this innocent joke and, of course, the “jacket” would soon become his reason for being on set, as he added:
“And then the jacket had to be worn in Jordan at 45 degrees Celsius. I mean, it was impossible. I was sweating. But I’m sure you got a lot of the sweating also with the outfit.”
The jacket evolved into a fascinating addition to Luna’s character, functioning as more than just a prop. Since this jacket fits him, he can claim that “I just got this job”. He was convinced that this piece of clothing held the key to his success and future in the Star Wars universe, and he found himself unconsciously linking his fate to it.
Rogue One: Diego Luna Failed To Understand His Casting
Diego Luna claimed that receiving the role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came as a surprise.
With the release of Rogue One in 2016, Disney hastened the expansion of the Star Wars cinematic universe. The news that Luna’s character Andor would be getting his own Disney+ series after being selected from the Rogue One cast caught many off guard. However, the biggest surprise for Luna personally was getting cast in a Star Wars film.
Luna discussed how he got the role of Andor and said that, given his prior experiences, he did not really believe the whole thing was real during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden:
“[The director] goes, like, ‘I want you to play the guy.’ And I go like, ‘Aw, really? No, no, there has to be something wrong. I’m Mexican, I just crossed the border from Mexico City, I have this accent! You know, this accent, I cannot get rid of this accent.’ And he was like, ‘Yeah!’ I always like saying it, but I thought he wanted Gael [García Bernal]’s number, you know? […] I was just amused by the idea, because he said something beautiful, he said, ‘I want to do this film with you because I saw you in Y Tu Mamá También.’ […] You see, I don’t [get that]..”
The actor did receive high praise from critics for his role in the road movie Y tu mamá también (2001), which was directed by the well-known Alfonso Cuarón. Before he truly hit the big time with Rogue One, Luna actually had a couple of opportunities in Hollywood productions, most notably Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal.
As Cassian Andor, he is currently reprising his role in the Disney+ series Andor.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor can be streamed on Disney Plus.
