Janina Gavankar Talks 'Star Wars Battlefront II'

By: Dominic Jones

The highly anticipated (and controversial) video game Star Wars Battlefront II hits shelves on Friday, and to promote the release Entertainment Weekly has released a new interview with Janina Gavankar, who plays the lead character Iden Versio in the game.  In the interview Gavankar discusses getting the role, Iden's motives, and what it's like being in a part of the Star Wars galaxy.

On getting the role, Gavankar said,

"I got an audition. I don’t know if you know this, but they don’t have to tell you what you’re auditioning for; that’s a standard industry thing. So you don’t necessarily have to know what you’re auditioning for when you audition for video games. But I’m a crazy stalker creeper on NeoGAF, which is like a more focused Reddit, if you will. It’s the best way to keep tabs on what’s being developed for the industry, so I knew exactly what it was. I immediately felt the pressure. I’ve never bugged my reps about anything more than this game. I think I called twice a day, every day, just calling them, “Have we heard anything?” I felt like if I didn’t get it, I was going to die. It felt like the entire world was on the line with this gig. It meant so much to me. "

On how Iden sees herself and her role in the Empire, Gavankar told EW,

"I mean, when you are the literal poster child for the Empire, it’s not very hard to be aligned with the Empire. Her father was an admiral, and her mother was a propaganda poster artist. She drew Iden into her posters, so that is a part of her DNA, literally. Of course she has no problem! Also, a million people just died in the sky in front of your eyes, and they’re your people."

On being a part of the Star Wars galaxy, Gavankar said,

"Oh my Lord. It’s so great. There are so many feelings. I don’t even know where to begin. I get so overwhelmed that it’s ridiculous. Where do I start? Star Wars just lives in the hearts and minds of every person with access to media on this planet. Unless you’re a psychopath, you love it in some way. Growing up, I can’t even say that I dreamt of this, because I never thought it would be a possibility. It’s literally beyond my wildest dreams. I never thought that I’d be able to be anywhere around the Star Wars galaxy, let alone get to play the lead character in a Star Wars story." 

You can read the entire interview with Gavankar here. 

Star Wars Battlefront II will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on November 17th. You can read about the backstory of Inferno Squad in the aptly titled novel Star Wars Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden that was released earlier this year.  The novel saw Inferno Squad tracking down surviving members of Saw Gerrera's Partisans following the events of Rogue One and A New Hope.  

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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