The Disney+ series Andor, a prequel to the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, has introduced a new actor for the character Senator Bail Organa in its second season. The role was previously held by veteran actor Jimmy Smits, who has portrayed the character across multiple Star Wars projects since 2002.
Mr. Smits first appeared as Bail Organa in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and reprised the role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. He later returned for Rogue One and the 2022 streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi, in addition to voice work for video games.
However, in the sixth episode of Andor's second season, viewers saw Benjamin Bratt portraying the Alderaanian senator instead of Mr. Smits.
Showrunner Tony Gilroy confirmed the change was necessary due to scheduling conflicts. "We couldn't work it out," Gilroy told Entertainment Weekly. "We really tried hard, but he wasn't available and couldn't make it."
Gilroy noted that Mr. Smits' commitments elsewhere, including the CBS series East New York during Andor's filming schedule, prevented his return.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy suggested Mr. Bratt for the role. Gilroy described the suggestion as "brilliant," praising Mr. Bratt's presence on set.
To address the change directly, Gilroy opted to introduce Mr. Bratt's version of the character briefly in episode six. He explained this was done "so people will get the conversation out of the way until the next week when he really starts to work."
Bringing back characters who have appeared in previous productions can present difficulties, according to Gilroy. "Bringing back legacy characters is really complicated," he said, referencing factors like cost and actor availability.
Gilroy reiterated the challenge to The Hollywood Reporter, via ComicBookMovie.com. "Legacy characters are really tricky to bring back. They’re very, very expensive. A lot of times, their schedules don’t work out," he stated, confirming this was the reason for the recasting of Bail Organa.
Now that the character's new appearance has been established, Mr. Bratt is expected to feature further in upcoming episodes of Star Wars's Andor.
