Also starring in the likes of Finding the Way Back and The Morning Show, Janina Gavankar is likely best known by Star Wars fans for her leading role in the campaign for Star Wars: Battlefront 2. Portraying the fearless Iden Versio - the commander of a team of elite Stormtroopers known as Inferno Squad - Gavankar has been pretty interwoven with the Star Wars brand ever since.
Her most recent collaboration with the iconic franchise likely isn't one fans would expect, however, with the actor having a bizarre cameo within the last episode of The Mandalorian. No, Gavanakar doesn't suit up as Versio in live-action, but instead puppeteered the nostrils for the Mon Calamari that Mando and Baby Yoda encounter at the beginning of the episode.
For those who haven't watched The Mandalorian: Chapter 11, it begins with Din Djarin, The Child, and The Frog Lady landing on a distant planet with raging seas and a small, harbor-like town. The trio's ship is heavily damaged due to the chaotic events of the prior episode, meaning Mando requires the services of a local mechanic to ensure his ship is primed to fly once his business is concluded. He enlists the help of a nearby Mon Calamari, with the interaction showcasing Gavankar's skill as a puppeteer.
As for how the Iden Versio actor managed to score such a bizarre cameo, Gavankar explained to IGN in a phone call that she actually goes way back with the man inside the Mon Calamari suit: Frank Ippolito. For those who don't know the work of Ippolito, he's worked on numerous movie, TV, and video game prosthetic creatures over the years, currently acting as a special effects artist for The Mandalorian. Allegedly, the Mon Calamari suit takes two people to puppeteer, with one needing to be inside the rig and the other having to work the nostrils. The actor claims she got a call from Ippolito asking her to take up the reigns of the character's nose and it was an offer too tantalizing to refuse.
The Mandalorian itself is currently a ways into its newest batch of episodes, with Season 2 reaching its midway point next week. So far, it's been an action-packed start, with two major cameos from iconic Star Wars characters and a third seemingly slated to make its way to screens in the next episode. Reactions have been strong as well, with fans excited to return to Mando and Baby Yoda's adventures through the Star Wars universe. A third season of The Mandalorian is already allegedly in production, while the show's creator, Jon Favreau, has revealed he's interested in a movie spin-off.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: IGN