Gwendoline Christie On How Her STAR WARS Character Subverts Gender Stereotypes

Gwendoline Christie On How Her STAR WARS Character Subverts Gender Stereotypes

Game Of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie is already a popular name around these parts, but she's about to hit the big time with a key role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She recently explained how her character 'Captain Phasma' avoids falling prey to certain gender stereotypes...

News
By Minty - Sep 21, 2015 09:09 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: Variety

Gwendoline Christie first turned heads with a breakthrough role on HBO's Game Of Thrones - and she hasn't looked back since. She's earned plenty of plaudits as the formidable 'Brienne of Tarth', but this fall will see her star rise even higher as she joins two of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 & Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Speaking to Variety, Christie opened up about the increasingly "progressive" manner in which female characters are being portrayed in mainstream media, and praised big franchises like those mentioned above for looking to "expand and show a more realistic representation of women and of men". She also elaborated on the similarities between Brienne and her Star Wars character 'Captain Phasma', and how they both avoid falling prey to traditional gender stereotypes.

"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. We have seen an image of [Phasma] and again, it’s an unconventional kind of woman exhibiting a kind of strength, but in a very different way to my other two characters."



Christie also revealed that "it was very important to JJ [Abrams]" that she portrayed the role of Phasma underneath the armor as well - in order to stay true to what they "felt this character was representing". She added that it was "very liberating" being forced to focus on her body language rather than her physical appearance, and felt it was "interesting to make something about the character identifiably female in a non-superficial way."

Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theatres December 18.
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Baka
Baka - 9/21/2015, 8:03 AM
So, excited to see her pull it off.
Pasto
Pasto - 9/21/2015, 9:27 AM
Man is this thread gonna be SO much fun...
grif
grif - 9/21/2015, 9:32 AM
female storm troopers are lame as [frick]
Nymphadora
Nymphadora - 9/21/2015, 9:37 AM
storm troopers aren't gender exlusive. You don't know who is under the helmets. Lucas said a bulk of background troopers were played by female extras.
MantelpieceBob
MantelpieceBob - 9/21/2015, 9:38 AM
Hmmmm...
RobbieDigital
RobbieDigital - 9/21/2015, 9:41 AM
So will we see her face at all?
blackandyellow
blackandyellow - 9/21/2015, 9:42 AM
Stick to Game of Thrones. These new ones will have a hard time living up to the excellent quality and choreography of the original movies.
AsgardianHobo
AsgardianHobo - 9/21/2015, 9:45 AM
She is pretty hot for a chick that could choke me with her index finger.
Jaxim
Jaxim - 9/21/2015, 9:46 AM
So is this character going to be written like a male with lady parts? If so, then that is a disservice to women. Women and men are not equal in every way. I've seen many women characters in countless movies and TV shows written like that and they seem unbelievable and unrelatable.

However, if this character is written as a tough woman who overcomes her physical inequalities with skill and cunning, then that would be a much better and deeper character.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 9/21/2015, 10:01 AM
First it was "No black stormtroopers allowed!" Then we got this.



Now it's "No female stormtroopers allowed!" And we have this.



Slowly but surely, assholes are running out of excuses. The fact that a major blockbuster like Star Wars is leading the charge is incredible.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 9/21/2015, 10:06 AM
thunderforce
thunderforce - 9/21/2015, 10:07 AM
I just read an article that said women shouldn't be in combat because they aren't equal to men . He said if we think women are equal to men in every way then they should be playing football with men and hockey with men but they won't because they would get killed . Women can pretend to be equal all they want but in reality the 2 sexes are not the same .
SuperCat
SuperCat - 9/21/2015, 10:12 AM
Nymphadora
Nymphadora - 9/21/2015, 10:14 AM
Why should our societal misdealings impact the way women are represented on film? They have stuff called the Force and light sabers and it takes place in another galaxy and y'all are worried that it's "unrealistic" for women to even play a role in these films?
spidey1994
spidey1994 - 9/21/2015, 10:16 AM
@grif How so?
thunderforce
thunderforce - 9/21/2015, 10:20 AM
It shouldn't matter at all on film but it really should matter in life or death situations and it just doesn't seem to .
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 9/21/2015, 10:20 AM
"Why should our societal misdealings impact the way women are represented on film? They have stuff called the Force and light sabers and it takes place in another galaxy and y'all are worried that it's "unrealistic" for women to even play a role in these films?"
gulducati
gulducati - 9/21/2015, 10:43 AM
If you don't think a woman or a black man should play a stormtrooper, then I dare you to not see the movie. You know you will still be in the theater on day one.
PsyGuy
PsyGuy - 9/21/2015, 10:43 AM
@Jaxim

What's a "male with lady parts"?

Also... what are her "physical inequalities"?? she's 6'3". You telling me it's not within the ream of possibility that she can physically take on any of the guy characters? Finn is 5'9". So is Poe. Come on.
Philvis
Philvis - 9/21/2015, 10:44 AM
I had no idea she was as tall as she is. I was wondering why in the pics of the new Star Wars figures, the Captain Phasma one towers over the storm troopers. It all makes sense now. I'm one of the few who hasn't seen Game of Thrones, so I didn't have context.
DoctorDoomSayer
DoctorDoomSayer - 9/21/2015, 10:51 AM
She is going to be awesome!
Jaxim
Jaxim - 9/21/2015, 11:26 AM
@PsyGuy What's a "male with lady parts"?

I meant that Hollywood writers often write a strong female character as if it is really a male character but then they cast a woman into the part. That's the cheap and easy way to get strong women parts. But it's just pandering. I want to see a TRUE strong woman part.

Yes, the character is tall, but an average built, average tall man can probably still take on a strong, tall woman. Men and women are NOT physically equal. And if you write as though they are, then it takes me out of the film. Yes, there are magic knights and space battles, but writing a strong woman like a male character will suspend my belief too far.

So what is a TRUE strong woman part. She needs to be physically strong, yes. But she needs to be more. She needs to more skilled than her male counterparts. She can have better fighting skills, but those skills will only take her so far since she won't have the physical prowess of a male. She's going to have to work harder. She's going to be more ruthless. She's going to have better skills with non-physical combat weapons: i.e. laser blasters. Plus, she can (but not necessarily have to) use the male weakness of a strong libido/chivalry against her male adversaries: i.e. she can plead for mercy and when the man stops to give her mercy, she can blast him.

I want to see a strong woman, but I don't want the writers to forget that she is a woman.
McGee
McGee - 9/21/2015, 11:49 AM
Star Trek is better. Their females make headlines and transcend gender by not being readily recognizable as either one.



http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/jennifer-lien-arrested-star-trek-voyager-1201594328/
nld3
nld3 - 9/21/2015, 12:05 PM
Cool now women can act like men.
Nivekian
Nivekian - 9/21/2015, 12:07 PM
Mark my words, as of December 21st, everyone will be talking about how badass Phasma is.
Justsomenerd
Justsomenerd - 9/21/2015, 1:13 PM
Well, she was typecast fairly quickly. She is Hollywood's goto for a butch female. Based on her interview, I dont think that she cares. Good for her. The character of Captain Phasma could wind up being great. Time will tell. Christie does know how to movie fight, so that is a major plus. And she isn't some waif thin model who will be physically besting men twice her size. Christie is a believable woman of action. I also think she is a good actress with the type of roles that she has been hired to portray.

For better of for worse, the new Star Wars trilogy will have women centerstage. But, it isn't as if SW has ever had weak female characters. From Leia to Mon Mothma, SW has given women prominent leadership roles. The new wrinkle is that two females will be at the center of the action.

Rey Solo is the main protagonist of the new trilogy. She will be a jedi, Han's daughter and the owner/captain of the Millennium Falcon. That is a Star Wars hat-trick. She will also likely be Luke's padawan apprentice. And she will likely be in a love triangle with Poe and Finn. The new trilogy is her story.

Kylo Ren is probably Rey's brother. Star Wars is the story of the Skywalker family. Kylo is said to be obsessed with Vader, perhaps because Vader is his grandfather. It could explain why the Kylo Ren doll says "that weapon is mine". He is might be referring to Anakin's lightsaber, a family heirloom.

Oh, and what are the odds that Rey will craft a pink lightsaber at some point? 2 to 1? 100 to 1? Pink lightsabers would sell.
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