Giancarlo Esposito Says Gina Carano Is His Favorite Mandalorian Actor
The Mandalorian actor Giancarlo Esposito says that Gina Carano was his favorite series actor to work with!
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Moff Gideon may have just stuck his head in a lion’s mouth. The Emmy nominated actor Giancarlo Esposito has just showered Star Wars‘ enduring black sheep — Gina Carano — with praise in a very public way. According to Esposito, of all the actors he’s worked with on The Mandalorian, Carano is his favorite.
As reported by ComicBook.com, during a Q&A at FAN EXPO Denver, Esposito was asked by a fan which of his The Mandalorian costars was his favorite. Seeming a little hesitant to answer at first, the Moff Gideon actor eventually said “Okay, I’ll say it without hesitation: Gina Carano.” Esposito made it clear the admiration and affection he feels for Carano has nothing to do with her political beliefs or the controversy that’s swirled around his former costar since before her firing from the series. “She’s warm and beautiful and wonderful, and you know, I don’t care what her politics are,” Esposito said. He went on to praise her for coming to acting “late,” and being “so raw and original and beautiful.” You can see a recording of Esposito’s answer below.
Gina Carano was happy to receive the praise from Giancarlo Esposito, and to return it. On Wednesday she tweeted a gif of Esposito as his Star Wars villain Moff Gideon. She assured the actor she thinks “the world” of him as well and that he makes “the world a better place.” Carano called him “one of the best actors and people I’ve ever stood across from.” You can see her tweet below.
Gina Carano’s former costar has a lot of pop culture clout. Giancarlo Esposito went from being a well-respected but often overlooked character actor to one of the most sought after villain actors in Hollywood when he took on the role of the cold and calculating Gustavo Fring in Breaking Bad — a role he reprised for Better Call Saul. Along with playing an Imperial holdout in The Mandalorian, he’s also more of a corporate villain in The Boys, Anton Castillo in Far Cry 6, and even the voice of Lex Luthor in HBO Max’s Harley Quinn. So far, his clout is serving him well and twitter hasn’t gone into full-on cancel mode yet. There are rumblings, though.
To many, it’s a particular shock to hear Gina Carano’s name in Giancarlo Esposito’s mouth considering both actors’ stances on the COVID-19 vaccine. Carano has repeatedly mocked the notion of using the vaccine, of using masks, and earlier this month announced her intention to defy vaccine mandates. Meanwhile, Esposito told The Hollywood Reporter, “If you don’t want to vaccinate, go to a small island and sequester yourself.” Otherwise, the actor said, “you’re saying ‘F–k you’ to all you other human beings.” At least one Twitter user pointed out the disparity.
In fact, in one of her most recent heavily trafficked posts, Gina Carano used the vaccine to bat away criticisms of her social media presence. Paraphrasing those who call her posts “dangerous,” Carano answered, “oh?…like, dangerous enough to cause blood clots?” We’re sure to see more, similar posts as the actress films her upcoming western Terror on the Prairie, while another of her upcoming projects — the thriller White Knuckle — was put on hold because of fear of vaccine mandates.
