Andy Serkis says that a back-story exists for Supreme Leader Snoke

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS presented many mysteries for us to ponder, including the identity of Rey's (Daisy Ridley) parents and just who Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) really was, but the answers provided in STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI didn't satisfy everyone, and in the case of Snoke, it seems that we may never learn what he was truly all about. That said, a back-story for Snoke does exist and is likely sitting on a shelf somewhere at Lucasfilm, or at least, that's what Andy Serkis told Entertainment Weekly in a recent interview.

It typically helps an actor to have knowledge of their characters back-stories in order to properly understand them, and Snoke was no exception as Serkis said that Snoke's history was discussed with both J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, but unfortunately he's been asked not to reveal it.

We wanted him to have a great deal of mystery, but we did … J.J. [Abrams] and I discussed it, and Rian [Johnson] and I did discuss backstories to him, where he came from. I’ve been asked to not shed anything, should we want to bring him back in any way whether [in a] prequel or whatever. I think there’s something cool about that. It still does remain a mystery for people. I know that some people find it incredibly frustrating, but I think it allows for further exploration and layering at a further point.

As for whether we might see Snoke return in the future, Andy Serkis said that he's not in discussions with anyone about it, but "would love to think that there is room for him to come back" and that "anything's possible in a Star Wars movie." The actor also spoke of Snoke's physical injuries, which he teased has to do with previous battles as well as general decay. "He is withered and slightly twisted in his spine, so that gave him that lurch. Those injuries are things that he has carried for a long time, and it’s almost like a form of arthritis," Serkis said. "It is to do with previous battles. It’s a sort of decay as well. He’s quite an old character, and those battle scars are affecting his recovery and his body’s started to break down as well." Do you think there is any big mystery as to who Snoke really was? Or was he simply another powerful but withered villain?

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI will be released on DVD/Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD on March 27, 2018.