Elizabeth Dulau played Kleya in the second season of Andor. At first glance, Kleya might seem like just the assistant to the flashy antiques dealer Luthen Rael, but she’s actually way more than that. Her character was tough, smart, and sharp—basically someone who could easily cut through even Darth Vader’s intimidating black armor.
The creator of Andor season 2, Tony Gilroy, shared an interesting story about how Elizabeth got the role. She wasn’t the first choice. Gilroy explained that they had cast two other actors for Kleya, but both of them got bigger acting jobs and had to leave the show. So the team was back to square one, needing someone new for the role.
That’s when Nina Gold, the casting director, suggested Elizabeth Dulau. Gilroy said she had no acting credits and had just recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), which means she was basically fresh out of drama school and hadn’t been on camera before.
Despite her inexperience, Elizabeth blew everyone away with her performance. The cast and crew were seriously impressed. Gilroy even compared her to Meryl Streep, one of the greatest actors of all time. He said Elizabeth was “bulletproof” — meaning she didn’t have a single bad moment on screen. She’s a natural talent, and as the season went on, the writers gave her more and more to do because she kept delivering such amazing work.
Elizabeth acted alongside big names like Stellan Skarsgård, and by the end of season 2, Kleya was revealed as one of the standout characters, the real MVP of the show.
If you haven’t seen it yet, Andor season 2 is streaming now on Hulu.
