evil woman
Gwendoline Christie is embracing her Star Wars villain tag – for good rather than evil
She plays the villain in Star Wars, but in real life Gwendoline Christie is as sweet as they come.
When the eighth instalment of the Star Wars empire (and the second in the sequel trilogy – if that’s confusing, hit up your George Lucas-worshipping pal) The Last Jedi hits cinemas this month, Gwendoline Christie will make her return as Captain Phasma, alongside an out-of-this-galaxy cast that includes Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern and Lupita Nyong’o. The commander of the Stormtroopers (Cliffsnote: the bad guys), Phasma is the franchise’s first major female villain and the antithesis of the beloved Princess Leia, through which the late Carrie Fisher landed a place in the world’s collective heart. But while her on-screen alter ego might not be fighting the good fight, Christie has a feminist take and hunger for complexity that’s worthy of hero status. (And we’re not just saying that in the hope she’ll give us spoilers. We already tried.)
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN STAR WARS, so when I heard they were making the films again I was desperate to be in them, particularly when I saw JJ Abrams was directing the first film [2015’s The Force Awakens] and upon learning that they wanted me to play Captain Phasma. I was blown away by [her] costume – I just thought it was so startling and clearly one of the best costumes in the whole film. But it was more than that. It was that we were going to see a representation of a woman in a way that I felt was new, which was that she wasn’t going to be defined by the shape of her body or how attractive she was. She was encased in armour from head to toe, and that’s the antithesis of what we’re used to seeing in terms of female representation.
I DIDN’T KNOW HOW PEOPLE WOULD RESPOND TO CAPTAIN PHASMA, but it’s been quite overwhelming. I think it’s because she’s a character who illustrates a change in convention and the way women are perceived. That was a new concept for me, particularly within a Star Wars film. It’s incredibly modern that a fresher idea of gender representation was being put in such an iconic film. I think when people are shown even a peek of what’s possible, it gives rise to so much inspiration. CARRIE [FISHER] WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON. She had the most vivacious, vibrant and intoxicating personality. Such an essential element of Star Wars was that a really strong character, who happened to be a woman, was at the heart of it. When I first saw the film at age six, it was Princess Leia who captivated me. I thought, “This woman seems different. She’s really funny. She’s really smart. She’s really tough. She has a strong character.” I’m certain that seeped into my subconscious. IT’S COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ISN’T A HUGE AMOUNT OF GOOD WORK TO GO AROUND, and by good work I mean work where you’re dealing with brilliant writers and directors with characters that are complex. I’ve been lucky to have been able to play those roles and that’s why I campaign and lobby so hard to play them because this is the work that really satisfies me and the work I feel has at least some use in the world in terms of illustrating and evolving attitudes.
AT SCHOOL, I ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY THE MALE PARTS because they were more interesting. I didn’t understand why there weren’t more interesting female parts. I’ve always wondered why [actresses] are often cast in roles that seem a bit dull and two-dimensional in terms of being the mother or the girlfriend. I didn’t understand why they weren’t at the fore. There’s still a long way to go, but there seems to be more unconventional female characters. They have storylines in their own right. They’re complex and difficult human beings who are neither wholly good or wholly bad.
PEOPLE COME UP TO ME ALL THE TIME AND ASK FOR INFORMATION. “What can you tell me about Star Wars? What’s happening in the next film?” [Other] people tend to be quite cool about it, like we might be having a conversation and getting along really well and they’ll gently introduce it [by saying], “I don’t suppose you can tell me what’s happening in the Star Wars film, can you?” My friends are always very respectful to never ask what’s happening. They’re far too busy taking a rise out of me, to be frank. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is out December 14