[This article contains spoilers for Andor's Season 1 finale]

Across the twelve-episode first season of Tony Gilroy's critically acclaimed series Andor, Diego Luna has given consistently awe-inspiring performances that have reinforced why Cassian Andor is one of the best characters that Star Wars has ever created. Whether he has been scheming for ways to make enough money to finally escape Ferrix or realizing the true costs of rebellion, he has risen to meet the challenge while never losing sight of the realistic human component that makes Cassian such a compelling figure. It's hard to pin down just one scene where Luna's incredible acting skills shine brighter than any other moment.

On the eve of the Andor's season finale, Collider's own Steve Weintraub caught up with the actor to discuss the series. During the conversation, Luna was asked about which scenes in Season 1 ended up being the most challenging to shoot, and his answer was a surprising one. In the finale, Cassian sets out on a mission to rescue Bix (Adria Arjona) from the Empire while the officers focused on crowd-controlling Cassian's mother's funeral. The scene becomes one of the most powerful scenes in Star Wars history, with Maarva (Fiona Shaw) delivering her own eulogy via hologram, which becomes a call to action to fight back against the Empire. This is the scene that Luna found the most challenging, because the emotions struck a chord with him. The actor explained:

Well, I was walking underneath Ferrix [and] the director started playing the words of Maarva. So I was listening to the music in a moment, and then the words. With the music, it was just before the words. Let's talk about the music. I'm walking underneath Ferrix, and I'm hearing the music, and I just started crying. I didn't want the character to cry there. It was like, “Shit, no, this can't be happening.” I got so emotional. So emotional. And it means a lot to me, on a personal level. That relation of Cassian and Maarva, and the way she ends up setting him in the right direction. I think it's such a strong, strong piece of Cassian's story, and I get emotional just by talking about it. It is, for me, the strongest relation, and it's clearly Maarva's example [that] sets him in that ride that will end in Rogue One. It was really tough to keep my emotions. To keep it strong because I didn't want him to break there. It had to be later on. I didn't want it to break there, and it was impossible.

andor-episode-12-fiona-shaw
Image via Disney+

RELATED: Why 'Andor' Doesn't Have Many 'Star Wars' Aliens Explained By Showrunner Tony Gilroy [Exclusive]

Luna went on to praise Gilroy for how every aspect of the first season is paid off in the finale, saying, "I'm just going to say that every time I talk about the series, it's incredible how nothing is [taken] for granted in our show. The work of Tony and all the writers, it's so perfect. Everything pays off. Everything, everything. And as an actor, it's just so amazing to be able to work with that material because everything has a connection. It was very strong, I mean, I love many episodes of the show, but nothing like 12. 12 is very strong for me."

When Will Andor Season 2 Arrive?

During an interview with Tony Gilroy, the showrunner explained that the series will likely return for its second and final season on the same schedule as Season 1, which means likely in 2024. Luna is set to return as Cassian Andor, and it's likely that actors like Genevieve O'Reilly and Duncan Pow, who have a connection to Rogue One, will also return as the series careens towards the events of that film.

The complete first season of Andor is streaming now. For the first time ever, you can also catch the first two episodes of the series on ABC, Freeform, FX, and Hulu this week. Check your local listings to see where you can tune in. Be sure to check out our interview with Andy Serkis below: