Gwendoline Christie's role in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" might be small, but the actress guarantees that it will be very impactful.
In the seventh installment of the "Star Wars" franchise, Christie will play the supporting villain Captain Phasma.
"She is a Boba Fett-style character," the actress told the L.A. Times about her character, "which means she makes a lot of impact but she's not at the forefront of the action all the time."
When she first heard that a new "Star Wars" film by J.J. Abrams is in the works, Christie knew for certain that she had to be a part of it.
Growing up in the remote countryside of southern England, Christie never felt that she felt in with her peers, especially since she towers above them all. However, she found comfort and self-acceptance watching the "Star Wars" films.
"I really wanted to be in 'Star Wars' because it had a special meaning to me," she revealed. "Being someone who never felt part of the mainstream, who always felt unusual, it felt like a world that I could inhabit in terms of my imagination and who I was. I became like a dog with a bone and was absolutely insistent: 'Please, please, please try to have me seen.' Eventually they were worn down by my incessant asking."
Christie took up acting lessons at the Drama Centre in London, and she was even told repeatedly that her towering height would get in the way of good film and television roles. But she never gave up despite the criticisms.
"I never really understood what the fuss was about," she said. "I always thought, there's such a wide selection of different people in the world, why wouldn't it be logical to represent them?"
She shot to fame after she got cast as Brienne of Tarth in HBO's hit television series "Game of Thrones." After that, she bagged a role in "The Hunger Games" franchise. The actress said that her success so far is beyond anything she has ever hoped for, and she is thankful for the opportunities that opened up for her.
"There are so many of us being told no, who feel outside of everything," she said. "I do feel like the world is changing, though, and more attention is being brought to issues of prejudice. I can't believe my luck that I might just be clinging on to a little bit of it."
