The Mandalorian star Gina Carano teases Cara Dune’s secret backstory

If you’re watching The Mandalorian over on Disney+ then you’re still buzzing about Cara Dune, the hardscrabble mercenary introduced in the latest episode, “Sanctuary.” The former Rebel shock trooper joins Mando (Pedro Pascal) to protect a vulnerable Sorgan village from raiders. Playing her is MMA star-turned-actor Gina Carano, who provides the steely glare and physicality you need for someone who can match a Mandalorian in hand-to-hand combat.

Carano talked with The Hollywood Reporter about the character, including her secret backstory, loving Baby Yoda, working on state-of-the-art sets and teaming up with the show’s stunt team. But first, what’s the significance of the tattoo under Cara’s eye? “[T]he eye tattoo has a much deeper meaning once we get into it. Obviously, it’s a Rebel tattoo, but there’s much more to that story. So, I’m excited for that.”

Chapter 4. Gina Carano is Cara Dune in THE MANDALORIAN exclusively on Disney+

Hmmm. Revealing, but not.

Cara also has an arm tattoo. “I’d have to go back and do a refresher on it,” Carano admits, “but I think that comes from the Rebel Alliance in the Galactic War. I also think it came from one of the producer’s sons who watches The Clone Wars or something like that. I think it’s definitely an Easter egg that attaches me to those soldiers.”

Carano was known before, but The Mandalorian is the hotter is the hottest show on TV, so she’s found herself getting recognized more often of late. “A girl just tagged me in a photo the other day because she just got it tattooed on her cheek,” Carano said. “I just sent Bryce (Bryce Dallas-Howard, who directed “Sanctuary”) a text message that said, ‘Bryce! It happened. Somebody got a Cara Dune tattoo on their cheek.’ It’s been a crazy zero-to-one-hundred thing already.”

Carano was showrunner Jon Favreau’s first and only choice to play Cara; he didn’t audition any other actors and even named the character “Cara” after “Cara-no.” And while we’re here, Carano clears up any pronunciation issues concerning Car-uh versus Care-uh: “It’s Car-uh; it’s definitely Car-uh,” she said. “In the beginning, everybody on set asked me, ‘How do you say your name?’ and I would say ‘Car-uh.’ But, for some reason, it’s natural for some people to say ‘Care-uh.'”

In “Sanctuary,” Cara mentions that her character was forced into early retirement, and she attacked Mando because she feared he was after a bounty on her head. Did the actor know more of Cara’s secret backstory while she was shooting the episode? “Yeah, I did,” Carano said. “I knew it from conversations with Jon and Dave (Filoni). They withhold little bits and pieces from me, and they’ll come in and say, ‘Oh, yeah, also this…’”

"Before I did the introductory scene, Jon told me a secret about my character, and it added so much depth to what her life has been like. I think she’s a really cool character, and I think the sky’s the limit with telling her story. When I read the script, I just felt like Jon wrote a little diamond of a character. I’ve been waiting for something like this for so long, and I love putting on the armor and thinking about the possibilities."

Chapter 4. Pedro Pascal is the Mandalorian and Gina Carano is Cara Dune in THE MANDALORIAN exclusively on Disney+

I guess we’ll have to wait and keep watching to learn those secrets for ourselves.

And what about Baby Yoda, currently the cutest creature in all of television? “I learned about Baby Yoda when I read the script after getting the job,” Carano remembered. “I think it was so smart of Jon and Kathleen Kennedy to keep it such a secret … and now everybody is absolutely in love with this little baby.”

"When you’re acting with it, you’re just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s insanely cute.’ These puppeteers gave it its own personality; it’s a little actor. Jon (Favreau) once belly-laughed and was like, ‘No matter what, this little guy is going to steal the scene in every scene that he’s in. Just know that you’re all going to be number two to this.’ That’s our little star of the show — 100 percent. There’s no stealing a scene from Baby Yoda."

Chapter 4. The Child in THE MANDALORIAN, exclusively on Disney+

And what does Carano think of Cara’s amazing fight sequence with Mando? “Originally, I feel like this all came from Jon and Bryce,” she said. “I got together with the stunt guys, and we did some different types of choreography and previz (previsualization).”

"I can tell you that the choreography was originally something else, and we made it to where she got the jump on him. It comes to a draw at the end of the fight so we both get our licks in. They’re both battle-hardened warriors, and I feel like they both have an understanding of what they were dealing with. I definitely think Cara stands out in a way that’s very different from someone like Leia, who’s also very strong and independent. I think that’s exactly what Jon wanted to bring to the Star Wars universe as far as my character. He wanted my arms to show, and I’m like, ‘Long sleeves!’ He wanted my character to be this new soldier of women, and he wanted her to have an impact. For me, it’s been a way to embrace who I am, and if the biggest complaint is that I’m too strong, it’s really a compliment to me."

Carano is trained as a mixed martial artist, and transitioning into acting wasn’t a completely smooth ride. Not every fighter is able to do it. “What I’ve actually done in the last nine or 10 years of being in this business is I’ve adapted to onscreen fighting,” Carano explained. “I used to dance when I was a little girl; I did jazz, tap and ballet. It’s also so much more than that as you have to learn to give shots and take shots. The more you sell it, the more the fight scene goes well.”

"I think I’ve had a little less of an ego as I come at it from an art and dance perspective with the skill set of a fighter. That’s really worked out for me, and I’m really proud of that because not everybody has been able to transition so well."

SAN JOSE, CA – AUGUST 15: Cris Cyborg (R) battles Gina Carano during their Middleweight Championship fight at Stikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg on August 15, 2009 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

There is also am unconscious gender bias issue that Carano had to deal with on the set of the show Haywire, where she had to convince the male stunt team to stop pulling their punches with her. On The Mandalorian, her relationship with the stunt people is right where she likes it. “I think the stunt community has kind of accepted me as one of their own because … I’ve been doing it for a long enough time that I’ve developed a good reputation in the stunt community to where I don’t injure or hurt people.”

"You have to have the conversation, though, because if you’re working with a stunt team the entire day and you’re kicking someone from a wide shot to a closer shot, that spot can get a little sore. So, you have to pick your moments. If it’s a wide shot, maybe give it a couple good kicks, but wait until you get to the closer shots to give it a bit more. It’s just a matter of communication and trust. The stunt team on Mandalorian have been like brothers and sisters to me."

Pedro Pascal is the Mandalorian in THE MANDALORIAN, exclusively on Disney+

The Mandalorian is being shot with a new, cutting-edge visual technology: a virtual reality system that connects the actors more profoundly with their sets. Hollywood bigwigs like Steven Spielberg, the Cohen Brothers and Seth Rogen have dropped by the sound stage to check the new stuff out, and Carano loves the system: “As an actor, even with Baby Yoda and the Ugnaught, you feel so in the moment because it all feels so real. When you put on your armor, you walk into that world, and that’s been an incredible blessing for my imagination.”

Having actor-director Bryce Dallas-Howard at the helm of “Sanctuary” was also exciting for Carano. “[S]he pays attention to everything, and she has complete 100 percent control of the set … She’s very protective over her actors and story. When she laughs, the entire building heard it. The one word I’d use to describe her is fiery.”

Bryce Dallas Howard and Gina Carano on the set of THE MANDALORIAN, exclusively on Disney+

The future looks bright for Carano, who takes all her wins and losses in stride: “I’ve had such an up-and-down career so far,” she admitted. “When I worked with Ewan McGregor on Haywire, he said, ‘Make sure you love the script, get along with the director and respect the director.’ He told me that 10 years ago … (and) he was telling me something from experience … now, that’s going to stick with me moving forward.”

“I am going to work with people I respect — on stories I’m passionate about. I’m going to be patient and wait for those to come through. After The Mandalorian season finale, I hope people have seen the growth in my work and the hard work I’ve put into acting. I always say this, but I still feel like I’m just getting started.”

The Mandalorian airs every Friday night on Disney+.

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