Also starring in the likes ofFinding the Way BackandThe Morning Show,Janina Gavankar is likely best known byStar Warsfans for her leading role in the campaign forStar 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 theStar Warsbrand 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 ofThe Mandalorian.No, Gavanakar doesn’t suit up as Versio in live-action, but instead puppeteered the nostrils for the Mon Calamari that Mando andBaby Yodaencounter at the beginning of the episode.
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For those who haven’t watchedThe 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 theIden Versioactor 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 forThe 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 Mandalorianitself 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 iconicStar Warscharacters 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 theStar Warsuniverse.A third season ofTheMandalorianis already allegedly in production, while the show’s creator, Jon Favreau, has revealed he’s interested in a movie spin-off.
Star Wars: Battlefront 2is out now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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