Page 47 - Star Wars Insider #177

INTERVIEW

Fist Empire
of

the

Iden Versio is the protagonist at the center of the recently released
Star Wars: Battlefront II videogame. Megan Crouse spoke to actress
Janina Gavankar to find out what it’s like to play the Empire’s finest…

anina Gavankar is real. It’s the most incredible thing that
already known for could have ever happened, because I’m
J television roles and working in a medium that I care about.
videogames including
When I was cast, I didn’t know just
Far Cry 4 and Halo 5: how important her character would
Hunt the Truth. Now be. For all I knew I was just going to be
she shows the world her talents as lead an extra, which of course I would have
character Iden Versio in Star Wars: been okay with.
Battlefront II’s campaign mode.

Iden’s strength in battle is matched How did you first get started as an
only by her love for the Empire’s actor in videogames?

ruthless strategies. In Battlefront II, The first videogame that I ever worked
she and her team of Imperial agents on was Far Cry 4. The audition for a
come up against some iconic heroes in videogame is exactly the same as an
a brand-new Star Wars story. Fans may audition for on-camera acting. For
have already learned about Iden and Battlefront II, they sent me a fake
her father, Admiral Garrick Versio, in script; I recorded an autition on tape,
the novel Battlefront II: Inferno Squad and I sent it in to them.
by Christie Golden. Now, Iden takes the
lead. Insider spoke to Gavankar about I understand you’re also a trained
her performance capture role. vocalist. What skills from that did
you bring to your acting career?
SWI: You’re both a gamer and Yes, I was a vocalist—and also a pianist,
a Star Wars fan. What’s it like to and a percussionist. My process hasn’t
act in a Star Wars game? changed much over the years, I’m still
JG: It still feels surreal, and I was cast in quite studious. I practice and practice.
the game a year ago. I’d love to say that As you can imagine, doing the same
it’s a dream come true, but it seemed thing over and over again can be very
impossible for it to happen to me that I straining on the voice. So all of my
didn’t even dream it. It just doesn’t feel vocal training has helped.

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