20 Questions With Janina Gavankar
Janina Gavankar talks about her personal Star Wars™ fandom and Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II
Actress and avid gamer Janina Gavankar plays Commander Iden Versio in the single-player campaign of Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II. A vocal Star Wars fan, we sat down with Gavankar to find out how deep her fandom runs.
Which era of the Star Wars universe is your personal favorite?
The original trilogy.
Which character throughout the entire Star Wars universe is your favorite, and why?
Anakin Skywalker. George Lucas’s son Jett told me that Anakin’s name is based on Ananke - the Greek Goddess of Inevitability. This blew me away because this thing that you feel when Anakin becomes Darth Vader is this creeping sense of inevitability. You can’t stop this slow burning wave that comes over him and turns him into what he was destined to be. That is an incredible journey to watch and to feel.
You can only pick one Star Wars planet to live on forever. Which is your pick?
Vardos, Iden’s home planet. It’s a brilliant example of what an Imperial planet is, as opposed to what an Imperial occupied planet is. It’s beautiful, it’s clean and it’s orderly - the way all things should be in the Galaxy!
What's your favorite Star Wars memory?
Listening to the John Williams Star Wars theme and experiencing the Opening Crawl for the first time.
You can only pick one: Wookies or Ewoks?
Neither. I’m going with Porgs!
If you could have the power of the Force, would you rather have the Force push or Force lightning?
Oooh…I’m going for Force Push – it’s more versatile.
When did you first discover Star Wars?
Very late…I was forced to sit down and watch the original trilogy as a freshman in high school.
The Star Wars universe has lots of alien species. Which is your favorite?
Kage Warriors.
What does being part of Star Wars mean to you?
Everything. It’s a dream I didn't even know was possible to dream.
What's your favourite gadget from the Star Wars universe?
Bacta Tanks. I need one of those!
Do you have any personal Star Wars collections of your own?
I have Star Wars wallpaper that’s always been in my guest room. I have the discontinued Lego set from the original Death Star and I’ll definitely be getting the 7,500-piece Millennium Falcon. I actually have a Millennium Falcon float in my swimming pool and I’m going to build a glass box to show off my Imperial uniform.
I wish Han Solo was still alive. I shook and cried in my seat when he died in Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™.
Can you rank the movies? Give us your top three.
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and finally, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
If you could change anything about the Star Wars universe, what would it be?
I wish Han Solo was still alive. I shook and cried in my seat when he died in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
What was it like seeing your likeness in-game for the first time?
It was weird. [laughing]
If you had Force abilities in real life, what's the first thing you'd do?
I’d want to control everyone’s minds.
Pick one: BB8 or R2-D2?
R2-D2.
If you could hang out with any Star Wars character, who would it be?
It would have to be Iden’s mother, Zeehay Versio.
Why Zeehay?
Well, if you read Battlefront II: Inferno Squad, you’ll know Iden had a relationship with her mother that she never really had time to work on. Unfortunately, Zeehay passed away before Iden could fix that, and that’s a really sad story between the two of them.
Where would you go?
We’d just hang out on a couch.
What color would your lightsaber be?
Red.
Ready for Star Wars Battlefront II? The game is available worldwide on November 17! Get tips and tricks here.
Learn more about Iden Versio’s story and single player in Star Wars Battlefront II at EA.com. Follow along on Twitter to stay up to date on all the news related to the game.
