Before Andor, Adria Arjona Lost Out On Another Big Role In The Star Wars Galaxy

Adria Arjona cemented herself in the pages of "Star Wars" history with her turn as Bix Caleen in "Andor." Specifically, with her character arc in season 2 of the Disney+ series, Arjona helped transform Bix into a wildly important, unforgettable figure in a galaxy far, far away. Bix was part of the tragic yet touching romance with Cassian, a doomed romance that helped shape the Rebellion as we know it. Yet, before she took on the role of Bix, Arjona nearly played an entirely different character in the franchise.

In a recent interview with StarWars.com, Arjona reflected on her time as Bix now that "Andor" season 2 is in the rearview mirror. The piece also included a pretty intriguing bit of information: it wasn't her first brush with the "Star Wars" franchise, as she auditioned for a "high-profile" role in another project. Arjona weighed in on the matter herself saying that losing out on the role, "really crushed me, because all I wanted was to be part of Star Wars and to be a Latin American woman in Star Wars." Of course, you probably noticed that there's no mention of which character Arjona originally auditioned to play.

So that begs the question, what role was Arjona up for before she landed the role of Bix? Aside from all of the live-action "Star Wars" TV shows on Disney+, Disney has made an entire trilogy of movies as well as cinematic spin-offs such as "Solo" and "Rogue One," which ultimately gave way to "Andor," since its purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012. Without more information, all we can do is aimlessly speculate. Though there is one character that seems like a strong candidate.

Daisy Ridley ended up playing Rey in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," who we would later come to know as Rey Skywalker by the time "The Rise of Skywalker" rolled credits in 2019. At the time, Ridley was a relatively unknown actress who was given the break of a lifetime by getting the chance to lead a new "Star Wars" trilogy for a new generation of fans. Though this is pure speculation, it's not hard to imagine that Arjona may have been in the mix to play Rey before Ridley nabbed the part.

Ridley and Arjona are the exact same age and we know that J.J. Abrams looked at lots of actors in Hollywood for all of the key roles in "The Force Awakens." Around 2013 when things were coming together, Arjona was in a similar position as Ridley, with her acting career just getting off the ground. She's got the look for it. She's the right age. She seemed to match what Abrams and Lucasfilm were looking for. It feels possible.

Whatever role it was, things worked out rather well. Arjona made Bix who she was and helped deliver a very memorable ending to "Andor" season 2. The door was left open for Bix, not to mention the child she made with Cassian, to return at some point. Whether or not that's ever going to happen remains to be seen but, in the same interview, Arjona expressed a great deal of gratitude for her time as Bix:

"Years later, I'm in Andor, and it was just meant to be. This is the Star Wars that I was meant to be in, and I was meant to play Bix. I just feel happy. And I've had so many beautiful interactions, especially with Latin women who love Star Wars that just come up to me and hug me. I've always wanted to be a part of Star Wars, it's been one of my biggest dreams, and to now be a part of it is a pinch-me moment."

"Andor" is streaming now on Disney+.