Battlefront 2 Star Janina Gavankar Talks Gaming, Fandom And Keeping Secrets

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is finally out, and when they're not busy frothing about loot crates and microtransactions, one thing the fans generally agree on is that the story is fantastic and Iden Versio is a great lead character. We spoke with Janina Gavankar, the actress behind Iden, about being a gamer, a fan and a professional all at the same time.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What were some of your first experiences with video games?

Janina: I didn't grow up playing video games, I was not allowed to play them. But I was really lucky because the year I started playing them was 2007. Like, Bioshock, Zelda Twilight Princess, Resident Evil 4, which I played on a Wii and was amazing. Portal, of course. I was like, this is what video gaming is? I had no idea. And suddenly it was like the dawn of the AAA game and I was thrust into these experiences.

Why did games click so much for you?

Because it's basically a movie but it's immersive. What could be better? That's why the games industry is quickly surpassing traditional Hollywood.

Did you pursue working in games once you became a fan?

Yes. The second I realized the medium of games was one I cared about, it's like, how did I not know this existed? It's like coming on a pasture of poppies that will get you high. It's a Wizard of Oz reference, people. It's like going into a field and being like "This was here this whole time and it makes me feel this good? How did I not know that I could get addicted to this stuff?"

My intense love for the medium was instant ... also this was ten years ago, and nobody in traditional Hollywood knew what the heck I was talking about. I felt like I was single-handedly talking to the representatives of all my actor friends to say "trust me your client will love their experience" or "trust me you need to be looking for games for them to be acting in." This is a medium that is only going to grow and be more exciting.

But that's also luck. My first game was Far Cry 4. I was lucky enough for them to care enough about finding people who could actually do the accent some justice and who could play this anomaly of a person who could be a leader. God, she was intense! A leader of a village that was in intense opposition to the male leader of that village. It was a really interesting character. A really complex character.

Your grandfather was in the military. Was there anything you learned from him you brought to the role of Iden?

There's two things: one, my grandfather was a general. Two, I was head of my drum line. So I am very used to leading some version of a squad. I also have a very high regard for the breed of person that gives their life to a cause that they believe in heartily, that they would put their life on the line for.

You did military training to prep for the role, did it help you bring something to the character you might not have otherwise?

I think these are all innate things. The Empire is very different from India (laughs). So, in that way, the allegiance is not something I found an understanding of. But certainly there were some things that were innate. There's a quiet to the people that are the leaders in the military, that sort of bravado and things doesn't exist because there's no time that can't get you killed.

No bravado in Iden?

No, she's very controlled. She knows she's the shit, but there's no time, no room for ego when you're on a battlefield.

What are you most excited about for Star Wars: The Last Jedi?

Porgs. I want all of the porgs. Give me porgs. And I just love looking at Kylo's tormented emo face.

What is the best Star Wars movie?

Empire.

Why?

There are many themes in Star Wars, one is family, one is destiny, one is hope. It dares to strip hope away from all of its main characters. The most beloved characters in cinema. It also gave us the twist of all twists before Bruce Willis knew he was dead and Keyser Soze lost his limp. Everybody felt betrayed, simultaneously.

That was a big secret to keep. Can you identify with part of that? With having to keep stuff secret from working on the game?

I can't even imagine. It's very different now, right? Because people hack into people's phones, so the level of secrecy you have to maintain is so very different than it used to be. You could probably just go to the bar down the street and people wouldn't know that you're working on Star Wars .

Now it's different. Me included. I'm such a stalker of the things that I love, I'm a super creeper about it.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 is available now for Xbox, PS4 and PC. Check out the Player.One review and ongoing coverage about the loot crate drama.