One of the most mysterious characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens is Captain Phasma, the chrome trooper. Gwendoline Christie talks to Variety about what it took to play the role of an elite soldier of the First Order. In the footage that we have seen, she is a brazen character, who has a direct purpose. She has the presence of Boba Fett, whether that is because (at this point) she is so mysterious, or because that is J.J. Abrams intention is hard to tell at this point. Regardless, Captain Phasma is a tough, battle-hardened character.
Ever since the first images of the elusive chrome trooper began leaking out, the Star Wars fanatics have been going crazy trying to figure out exactly who is was. Now that we know it is just one character in the film, Captain Phasma. Gwendoline Christie talks about the freedom and liberation that came along with playing a masked character, "It was very important to J.J. that I was there acting a part. I found it to be a really interesting acting challenge, not just because of what I felt this character was representing - and it was just what I felt, and we talked about it a little bit, but it was never like a manifesto, 'this is what it must be' - and it was exciting to me to have that weight of responsibility taken away, of having to be a certain way as a woman, to have to be mindful in a way that isn't always useful. To have that stripped away was very liberating, and it meant that as an actor I had to focus on other things."
She also discussed similarities exist between Captain Phasma and her character on Game of Thrones, Brienne of Tarth, "I don't think many female actors get the opportunity to play a part where they're not having to think about the way their face looks, but I found exactly the same thing with Brienne of Tarth, and that was very liberating. It was great as an actor to work on your skills - that it isn't about holding your head so you look beautiful. It's about what you're transmitting, and to be in service of an idea greater than yourself, whether it's the character's overriding objective or, beyond that, hopefully something more sociopolitical."
Christie stars in Game of Thrones, Star Wars The Force Awakens and in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 2. She spoke with IGN about her excitement for all three of the projects that she is involved with this year. "It's great to be involved in three big franchises, but [they're] big three big franchises that are looking to expand our consciousness about each other as human beings, and that's very exciting."
Hollywood seems keen on injecting strong female characters into a lot of films lately. That is one thing that Star Wars has always, strong female lead roles. It is nice to see the torch being handed down in more than one instance. In Star Wars The Force Awakens We will have strong female characters on both sides of the battle.
Star Wars The Force Awakens opens in theaters on December 18, 2015.
