Before Andor, Adria Arjona Starred In An Overlooked Wizard Of Oz Adaptation

Audiences around the world became familiar with Adria Arjona when she appeared as Bix Caleen in the Star Wars series, "Andor." A prequel to "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the series made an instant impact with the debut of its first season in 2022 and exploded in popularity with the recent release of season 2. "Andor" revealed the backstory of Diego Luna's rebel captain, Cassian Andor, and introduced Arjona as his love interest, Bix.

Cassian and Bix grew up together on the planet Ferrix. Season 1 opened after the two had separated and Bix had entered a relationship with her colleague, Timm Karlo (James McArdle), who was eventually killed by Imperials. It was also Bix who first put Cassian in contact with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), the mastermind behind the early Rebellion, who started Cassian on his path towards becoming the spy who would help bring down the Death Star.

In season 1 of "Andor," Bix was tortured on the orders of ISB Supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough). This incident continued to haunt her throughout season 2, until she killed her torturer, Doctor Gorst (Joshua James). Though Bix lived with Cassian at the Rebel base on Yavin 4 for a time, she eventually left when she feared Cassian would leave the Rebellion to settle down with her, giving up his part in an important fight. The final shot of "Andor" season 2 revealed Bix had given birth to a child Cassian would never know before his death on Scarif.

But before all of this, Adria Arjona played one of the most memorable characters ever created ... on a show that only lasted one season.

Before "Andor," Adria Arjona appeared in a little-known adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" – NBC's "Emerald City." This adult take on the classic children's book cast Arjona as a 20-year-old Dorothy Gale, who was swept away to a brutal version of Oz, where magic was outlawed and conflict was rife. Classic characters were drastically reimagined. The Scarecrow became Lucas, an amnesiac who Dorothy discovered bloodied and crucified. Glinda was a vengeful character who harbored a secret hatred for the Wizard. Even the Munchkins became the violent Munja'kin tribe.

In addition to featuring Adria Arjona's first major TV role before she joined the Star Wars universe in "Andor," the cast of "Emerald City" included some other big names from Disney's Marvel properties. Vincent D'Onofrio, known to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, appeared as Frank Morgan, the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of "Emerald City" was named for the actor who had played the role in the classic 1939 movie adaptation. Also appearing in the NBC series was Florence Kasumba, who played the Witch of the East. Kasumba appeared in the MCU as Ayo, one of Wakanda's Dora Milaje.

While "Emerald City" was canceled after one season, it showcased Arjona's flair for portraying a strong, complex heroine, navigating a strange and dangerous world. It also paved the way for her "Andor" role by casting her in a darker reimagining of a typically family-friendly fantasy franchise.