Who named Genevieve O’Reilly’s performance one of the best of 2025?

Vulture recognized Genevieve O’Reilly’s portrayal of Mon Mothma in Andor Season 2 as one of the best TV performances of the year.

Why was her performance praised?

O’Reilly was applauded for her nuanced portrayal of Mon Mothma’s political and emotional unraveling, particularly in her Ghorman genocide speech and her subtle shifts between composure and horror.

What role does Genevieve O’Reilly play in Andor?

She plays Senator Mon Mothma, a key political figure in the early rebellion against the Empire.

Was Genevieve O’Reilly nominated for an Emmy?

No. Despite critical acclaim, neither she nor the Andor cast received major Emmy nominations — a snub highlighted by Vulture.

Why is Mon Mothma considered a standout character in Season 2?

Her storyline explores the collapse of political systems, moral reckoning, and the personal cost of rebellion, all carried by O’Reilly’s exceptional performance.

Genevieve O’Reilly Named One of 2025’s Best TV Performances for Andor Season 2

If Andor Season 1 belonged to Cassian, Season 2 unquestionably belonged to Senator Mon Mothma — and Vulture just made that official by naming Genevieve O’Reilly’s performance one of the best TV performances of 2025. Honestly? It’s about time the wider world caught up to what Star Wars fans have been yelling about since Episode 1.

And yes, Vulture didn’t hold back. They straight-up said:

“Emmy voters should be embarrassed until the end of time for failing to nominate any of Andor’s ensemble.”

Throw the whole awards show in the trash and start over — that’s the energy.

A Masterclass in Political Horror

While Season 1 tracked Cassian’s transformation from drifter to revolutionary weapon, Andor Season 2 shifted focus. It handed its sharpest political blade to Mon Mothma — and Genevieve O’Reilly carved out one of the best character arcs in modern Star Wars.

She begins the season composed, elegant, and tightly wound — a high-ranking Senator in the lion’s den of Imperial politics. But as the noose tightens and the Empire reveals its true brutality, her performance fractures in the most devastating, believable ways.

She goes from:

poised diplomat
to cornered operator
to quietly furious dissident
to the face of moral clarity in a galaxy drowning in fear

Vulture describes it perfectly:

“She steadily turns Mothma into an avatar of disgust at the Senate’s collection of corrupt pushovers and cowards.”

And you feel that disgust. You feel her isolation. You feel every choice she makes ripping a little more of her old self away.

The Ghorman Speech — A Career Moment

Do you know a scene is powerful when it makes even lifelong Star Wars fans go quiet? That’s Mon Mothma’s Ghorman genocide speech.

Vulture calls it:

“an urgent appeal for moral reckoning that is Andor at its most clear-eyed and O’Reilly at her best.”

It’s not flashy. It’s not explosive. It’s not a lightsaber duel with dramatic music swelling. Instead, it’s Mon Mothma standing at her pulpit, staring into a room full of cowards and collaborators, and telling them — calmly but devastatingly — that the Empire is murdering innocent people.

It’s the moment she fully realizes democracy is dead.

It’s the moment she stops trying to fix the system from within.

It’s the moment she becomes the Mon Mothma we meet in Return of the Jedi — a leader forged in hopelessness.

Composed, Aghast, Unbreakable

One of the magical things about O’Reilly’s performance is her ability to hold two emotional states at once:

composed
and quietly horrified

It’s like watching a dam crack from the inside.

Her face can shift from grace to disgust in a millisecond. She can project confidence even as you see her unraveling. She can stand perfectly still and somehow convey a full-blown panic attack beneath her calm exterior.

This is subtle acting at its absolute peak — the kind of work genre TV rarely gets credit for, and almost never gets awards for. Which is exactly why Vulture’s acknowledgment feels so satisfying.

A Shameful Emmy Snub

Vulture’s point is blunt: none of Andor’s ensemble were nominated. Not Diego Luna. Not Stellan Skarsgård. Not Elizabeth Dulau. Not O’Reilly.

And if you’ve watched Andor, you know that’s absurd.

The show is packed with some of the best performances ever delivered in Star Wars, and O’Reilly’s Mon Mothma is one of the crown jewels.

She’s not the loudest. She’s not the flashiest. She’s not punching stormtroopers off balconies.

But she’s navigating the slow, choking death of democracy — and doing it with a level of nuance most actors can only dream of.

One of Star Wars’ Most Fascinating Characters

At this point, Mon Mothma isn’t just a background leader who shows up to brief the heroes. Thanks to O’Reilly, she’s become one of Star Wars’ most complex, human, and heartbreaking characters.

A woman holding the galaxy together with:

nerves of steel
a flawless poker face
and a heart breaking behind her eyes

Vulture nailed it:

“Her ability to be composed and aghast in equal measure made Mothma one of the series’ most fascinating creations.”

And honestly? She deserves every ounce of praise she’s getting — and then some.

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