If people weren't already bouncing-off-the-walls excited when Disney and Lucasfilm announced plans for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" then the casting of Gweondoline Christie certainly helped to ignite niche fans. Christie has spent the last few years as everyone's favorite badass Brienne of Tarth (Honorable Mentione: Bronn) on HBO's "Game of Thrones." In a short time, she has proven not only to be an imposing physical presence but also a quality actress.
She'll bring those skills to the "Star Wars" table as she plays Captain Phasma (cool name), a First Order villain with chrome storm trooper armor (cooler look). Beyond that, Christie's role is a mystery. Director J.J. Abrams briefly discussed what she brought to the film while at the D23 "Star Wars" presentation.
"I can only say that Gwendoline Christie is my favorite," Abrams said. "She just killed it. You think, 'Well, what? She's wearing a costume.' But It's a lot to wear and to have a performance when you're wearing that requires a different kind of skill set and an additional talent, and she's got it. It's an incredible thing to work with her. I am glad that a character has been designed that is visually as stunning as that is, because she deserves it and the fans do to. When I first saw that design my mind was blown because it looked so undeniable."
In classic Abrams secret-keeping fashion, the director failed to actually reveal anything about the character. But it's definitely reassuring to hear him be so overly effusive about Christie's performance. No director is typically going to bash their own film (unless you're Josh Trank), but Abrams seems to have swung heavy to the other side of the pendulum with his praise.
Could Christie's Captain Phasma be as cool as, gulp, Boba Fett? Could she be this generation's silent "Star Wars" badass? It seems like her character really leaves an imprint.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will hit theaters on Dec. 18.
