Star Wars Writer Dan Gilroy Calls Out Trump, Draws Real-World Parallels from ‘Andor’
Dan Gilroy, a writer for the Disney+ series Andor, has spoken out about Disney’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! after the host’s comments about Trump’s reaction to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Amid public backlash, fans have been boycotting Disney and Hulu, criticizing what they see as an attack on free speech.
“Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel for speaking his mind,” Gilroy said, drawing attention to what he sees as censorship by the company.
He also connected the situation to the themes of Andor, a show he worked on for six years about ordinary people facing an authoritarian regime. “Many people saw parallels between Andor and the real world. I see them as well, particularly in the events of the last week,” he explained.
Gilroy criticized the Trump administration for influencing Hollywood. “Donald Trump’s tools of governance, coercion and intimidation, have found focus on Hollywood. Faced with a social media firestorm, fear, and an FCC head threatening ‘they can do this the easy way or hard way,’ Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel for speaking his mind,” he said.
He warned that those in the industry may soon face situations where they must choose between conscience and hardship.
The writer argued that Disney is at a critical crossroads: either terminate Kimmel’s contract and comply with political pressures, or defend free speech. “There’s not much at stake, just free speech, the oxygen that sustains life in this town,” Gilroy said. He urged artists and audiences to educate themselves, organize, and speak truth to authority. “The story’s not written — the pen is in your hand,” he added.
ANDOR writer Dan Gilroy has released a statement critiquing the Trump administration and commenting on the parallels between the show and Disney’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.
— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) September 20, 2025
“As one of the writers on the Disney+ drama Andor, we spent six years thinking about a fascist takeover… pic.twitter.com/ZZW2HrYVqn
The suspension came after Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns the largest number of ABC affiliates in the U.S., announced it would stop airing Kimmel’s show. Sinclair said it spoke with ABC and agreed to preempt the program indefinitely, and ABC has paused production. “Mr. Kimmel’s remarks were inappropriate and deeply insensitive at a critical moment for our country,” said Sinclair Vice Chairman Jason Smith. He stressed the need for FCC oversight, saying the situation “highlights the critical need for the FCC to take immediate regulatory action to address control held over local broadcasters by the big national networks.”
While some suggest the suspension is politically motivated, former President Trump said it could be related to declining ratings.
Data shows Jimmy Kimmel Live! has steadily lost viewers over the last decade, from an average of 2.4 million in 2015 to 1.6 million in 2025, a 37% decline. Among adults aged 25-54, viewership dropped from nearly 1 million in 2015 to just 261,000 in 2025, a 72% drop.
Gilroy’s statement adds another voice to the ongoing debate about free speech, political influence, and the pressures facing artists and media companies in the U.S.
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