Diego Luna Becomes First Star Wars Actor Nominated for a Golden Globe Since 1977

Every so often, Star Wars makes history in a way that doesn’t involve box-office records, new shows, or surprise cameos. Today, it’s something far rarer — and honestly, long overdue.

Diego Luna has become the first actor since Sir Alec Guinness in 1977 to receive a Golden Globe nomination for a performance in a Star Wars project.

Yes.
It has been that long.

Not since Guinness was nominated for his legendary portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars (later retitled A New Hope) has an actor from this galaxy far, far away been recognized in one of Hollywood’s biggest awards shows.

Now Diego Luna has done it — and it’s thanks to Andor, one of the most critically acclaimed Star Wars stories ever put on screen.

A Historic Nomination Decades in the Making

Let’s put this into perspective.

Since 1977, Star Wars has produced:

11 live-action films
Multiple animated series
A surge of Disney+ originals
Hundreds of iconic characters
Countless unforgettable performances

And yet no actor from the franchise received a Golden Globe nomination for their performance — until now.

That’s not because Star Wars lacked talent. It’s because blockbuster sci-fi has traditionally been ignored by awards bodies when it comes to acting categories.

Guinness broke that barrier in ’77.
Diego Luna just broke it again.

Why Diego Luna’s Performance Stands Out

Luna’s portrayal of Cassian Andor is everything awards voters claim to love:

grounded
emotionally layered
politically relevant
subtle but powerful
morally complex
entirely human

He gives us a Star Wars character with no prophecy, no chosen-one destiny, no lightsaber to fall back on — just a normal man dragged into extraordinary circumstances.

His performance in Andor is filled with quiet fury, exhaustion, trauma, hope, and the growing spark of rebellion. It feels more like prestige drama than traditional sci-fi — which explains why awards bodies finally took notice.

Andor: The Little Rebellion That Could

It’s impossible to talk about Luna’s nomination without acknowledging Andor itself.

The show has been widely praised for:

its political depth
its grounded tone
its mature storytelling
its refusal to rely on nostalgia
its real-world commentary

In a landscape dominated by spectacle and fan service, Andor stood out by doing the exact opposite. It made Star Wars feel real — painfully, beautifully real.

And Diego Luna was the emotional core of all of it.

Why This Nomination Matters So Much

This isn’t just another awards headline. It’s a recognition of something bigger:

Star Wars can be prestige television.
Star Wars can deliver award-worthy performances.
Star Wars can be more than nostalgia.

Luna’s nomination sends a message — to the industry, to future creators, and to Lucasfilm themselves — that the franchise’s best storytelling doesn’t always involve Skywalkers, Jedi, or epic battles.

Sometimes it’s the small, quiet, human stories that resonate the most.

From Sir Alec Guinness to Diego Luna: A Full-Circle Moment

Sir Alec Guinness brought gravitas to the original film. His nomination was a sign that Star Wars was more than just a fun space opera — it was a phenomenon worth taking seriously.

Diego Luna is now carrying that torch.

His nomination bridges the old Star Wars and the new — connecting the franchise’s legacy to its future.

And for fans who have championed Andor since episode one, it feels like a well-earned victory.

Final Thoughts

It’s rare for an actor to make Star Wars history in 2025 — but Diego Luna just did exactly that.

The first Golden Globe nomination for a Star Wars performance since 1977.
The second in franchise history.
A recognition of a show that dared to push the saga into bold new territory.

Whether he wins or not, Luna has already earned something bigger than a trophy — a place in Star Wars history right alongside Sir Alec Guinness.

And that’s a legacy worthy of the Rebellion.

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