A Ferrix Welcome

Host Kristin Baver opens the segment with a playful introduction to Wilmon Paak’s sudden journey from Ferrix mechanic’s son to young rebel. “One day you’re ripping apart Starships on Ferrix, rolling your eyes at your best buddy Cassian,” she says, “the next you’re tossing an improvised explosive device that literally sparks a rebellion.”

She then welcomes Andor actors Joplin Sibtain and Muhannad Bhaier to the Star Wars Celebration stage. The two enter to music and applause, taking in the crowd before settling into the interview.

First Time at Star Wars Celebration

Baver greets them warmly and asks if this is their first Star Wars Celebration. The answer is yes, and Sibtain seems especially struck by the scale of the event.

“I’m just trying to take you all in,” he says, looking out at the audience. “This is incredible.”

Baver notes that there are clearly a lot of Andor fans in the room, setting up a conversation focused on Ferrix, rebellion, Brasso’s loyalty and Wilmon’s explosive turn in the Season 1 finale.

Muhannad Bhaier on Preparing to Play Wilmon Paak

Baver starts with Bhaier, joking that he looks “extremely prepared” while Sibtain is still taking in the room. She asks how he prepared for the role and got into Wilmon’s headspace.

Bhaier first clarifies whether she means the audition process or the character work after he got the part. Once Baver clarifies, he explains that Wilmon was “kind of in and out throughout the season,” but Episode 12 became the major turning point for him as a character.

He says the emotional core came from Wilmon losing his father near the end of Season 1. That loss helped him understand what would push a young person like Wilmon from ordinary life into open rebellion.

Then he adds the other obvious factor: the Empire.

“The Empire, man,” Bhaier says. “Who likes the Empire?”

Baver turns that into a quick joke with the crowd, saying there are “not a lot of Imperial fans” in the room. When a few people seem to cheer from the front, she acknowledges a small “contingent of Imperial fans,” which gets a laugh.

Joplin Sibtain on Finding Brasso

Baver then asks Sibtain how he prepared to play Brasso. His answer centers on the fact that Brasso was a change of pace for him as an actor.

“I usually play bad guys,” Sibtain says, “so it was a bit of a leap for me to play somebody who’s decent.”

He describes Brasso as “a reliable, solid, dependable guy,” someone with “no sides to him.” Brasso is stand-up, straightforward and uncomplicated, which Sibtain says shaped the way he approached the performance.

He also found a connection through Brasso’s work. Brasso works in a breaker’s yard, breaking up big ships, and Sibtain says he has done manual labor in the past, including building trade work. That gave him something physical and familiar to draw from.

Sibtain explains that actors do not always get a full picture of their characters ahead of time. They receive their pieces of the script, then have to “pick the bones” from what they are given. He notes that what other characters say about you can be a big part of building a role, but actors do not always have access to that while filming.

For Brasso, the work was about identifying those core attributes, then playing them as closely and honestly as possible.

Brasso as the Friend You Call

Baver calls Brasso “a real one” and says he is a “rock solid friend to Cassian.” Sibtain immediately builds on that idea with one of the best character descriptions of the interview.

“You can build your house on Brasso,” he says.

He describes Brasso as the kind of person who always has your back. “He’s got your six,” Sibtain says, using the American phrase for someone watching out for you. If you need an alibi, you call Brasso. If your car needs to be pushed out of a ditch, you call Brasso.

The joke works because it captures Brasso perfectly. He is practical, loyal and dependable. He does not need to make speeches to prove who he is. He shows up.

Sibtain says it was difficult for him to approach that kind of role because Brasso is so different from the characters he usually plays. Villains are easier for him to access and more obviously fun, but he appreciates the challenge of playing someone decent.

“It’s good to play good people,” he says. “They’re trickier to play, in a way, because villains are easier to go to.”

What Drew Muhannad Bhaier to Andor

Baver asks Bhaier what drew him to Andor, aside from the obvious appeal of joining Star Wars. His answer is rooted in gratitude.

“How lucky am I to be here right now, man?” he says.

Bhaier talks about how thankful he is to be part of the story, part of the Star Wars universe and present with the fans at Celebration. He does not overcomplicate the answer. For him, the experience feels almost unbelievable.

“I’m so, so lucky, man,” he says.

What Drew Joplin Sibtain to Andor

Sibtain gives a more matter-of-fact answer from an actor’s point of view. He says actors do not always choose their careers in a grand, intentional way. You get an audition, you go for the role, you hope you get the job and sometimes you get it.

That is what happened with Andor.

Still, he makes it clear that being part of Star Wars feels like a privilege. He says it is “slightly overwhelming” because you do not fully understand the size of the world you are stepping into until you encounter the fans and the larger community around it.

He calls the Star Wars audience “this incredible family,” then gives them a huge compliment.

“Of all the franchises, these are the best fans, right?” he says. “They have to be. They’re extraordinary.”

The crowd agrees.

Wilmon Lights the Fire

Baver then turns back to Wilmon’s biggest moment in Andor Season 1: his role in the Ferrix uprising. She says Bhaier’s character “literally lit a fire for the Rebellion,” then jokingly apologizes for the spoiler in case anyone in the room has somehow not seen Andor yet.

Bhaier calls the experience of playing that role “incredible.” He describes Wilmon as a 16-year-old kid who was simply trying to live a normal life with his father as a mechanic.

Then the Empire arrives and tries to take over the planet.

For Bhaier, that is what changes everything for Wilmon. The Empire’s control, violence and intrusion into Ferrix create the conditions for his character’s anger.

“That is what lights a fire in Wilmon,” he says.

He keeps returning to the idea that Wilmon cannot accept what is happening. The Empire has pushed too far, and Wilmon cannot just stand by while his home and family are crushed.

“He can’t have that,” Bhaier says. “Come on. No way.”

Brasso’s Fire Burns Differently

Baver jokes that Brasso is more “straight and narrow,” so she will not ask Sibtain the same question about throwing explosives. Still, she notes that Brasso has his own kind of fire.

She describes him as someone who is “a house on fire” for his friends and family. He is protective of Ferrix and the people around him, especially Cassian and Maarva.

The contrast between Wilmon and Brasso is one of the most interesting parts of the segment. Wilmon’s rebellion is young, raw and immediate. Brasso’s resistance comes from steadiness and loyalty. He is not impulsive, but he is deeply committed to protecting his people.

Together, they represent two different sides of Ferrix: the spark and the foundation.

The Star Wars Hoodie

Baver then asks Bhaier about one of the most talked-about details of his costume: Wilmon’s “star warsified hoodie.” She wants to know if he got to keep it.

Unfortunately, he did not.

Bhaier says he remembers the reaction when the first teaser came out. Fans immediately noticed the hoodie and started asking whether this was the first time a hoodie had appeared in Star Wars.

He seems amused and proud of the possibility.

“If I’m the first person to wear it,” he says, “I’ll take that as a W.”

Still, he says production was too strict for him to keep it.

Star Wars Set Security

Sibtain jumps in with a joke about how tightly controlled the set was. He says you get something like a “cavity search” when leaving the place, making it very clear that costumes and props were not casually walking off set.

The two mention that even the costume tags were carefully tracked. Baver adds that everything was codenamed and carefully curated at the end of each day to make sure no pieces disappeared.

It is a fun behind-the-scenes moment, especially because the hoodie became such a small but memorable visual detail from Andor. The conversation makes it clear that even a simple-looking costume piece was treated as part of the larger Star Wars machine.

Thanking the Fans

Before wrapping up, Baver asks if there is anything they would like to say to the fans gathered there.

Bhaier keeps it simple and heartfelt.

“Thank you,” he says. “Thank you so much. That’s all I can say, man. Thank you.”

It is a fitting close to the interview.