Indira Varma is an actress, most notably appearing in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Within the show, she portrays Tala Durith, an Imperial officer secretly working as a double agent, aiding Obi-Wan and Leia Organa in their flight from the Empire. Varma is also celebrated for her role as Ellaria Sand in the acclaimed fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (where she shares the screen with fellow Star Wars actors Pedro Pascal, Jessica Henwick, Emilia Clarke, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Alexander Siddig, with Varma and Pascal portraying lovers). Furthermore, she played DS Nina Suresh in the British crime drama series Paranoid, and starred as Piety Breakspear in the neo-noir fantasy series Carnival Row. Varma also portrayed Niobe in the HBO series Rome, a character whose name served as the namesake for the Star Wars character Niobi.
During her childhood, Indira Varma admitted to not watching the Star Wars films, feeling that they were primarily intended "for the boys" and that the franchise did not offer much for her. However, after watching her friend and fellow actor Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian, Varma became captivated by the series' wit, humanity, and serialized format. This experience prompted Varma to engage in a conversation with Deborah Chow, the director of the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series, about the possibility of joining the show. Varma expressed her confidence in Chow's sensibilities, particularly her emphasis on emotion over action and her commitment to empowering female voices. During their discussion, Varma was impressed by Chow's vision for a character-driven narrative and Chow's willingness to incorporate her input. Varma viewed her involvement in the show as an exciting opportunity to challenge conventional perceptions of women.
Varma felt particularly welcomed into the Star Wars universe due to the relative novelty of Tala Durith. She felt liberated from the pressure of replicating a pre-existing character, as she was not stepping into a role that had been previously portrayed. Despite not having seen all of the Star Wars films, Varma believed that a comprehensive knowledge of the franchise was not essential to understanding her character's motivations. Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the series, humorously teased Varma about her lack of familiarity with the franchise. She saw Durith as the equivalent of the French resistance. She felt that Durith understood Kenobi, and saw him as a man who had given up. On March 29, 2021, Lucasfilm Ltd. officially announced Varma's casting in the live-action Disney+ television series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In 2022, Varma made an appearance at a surprise premiere event held at Celebration Anaheim. She expressed her enthusiasm for being part of a project that values and embraces its fan base. Varma has also voiced her desire to have a cameo or a supporting role in the third season of The Mandalorian. Varma was interviewed for Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return, a documentary chronicling the making of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi Series to Begin Production in April, Cast Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
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- Obi-Wan Kenobi Will Debut May 25 on Disney+ on StarWars.com (backup link)
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- Obi-Wan Kenobi to Premiere May 27 with Two Episodes on StarWars.com (backup link)
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- Obi-Wan Kenobi is Here! on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return
- Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 Announces First Celebrity Guests on StarWars.com (backup link)
- This Week! in Star Wars Marvel's Sana Starros First Look, Star Wars Celebration Celebrity Guests, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- Gwendoline Christie, Joonas Suotamo, and Ming-Na Wen to Appear at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 on StarWars.com (backup link)
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- A Look Back At Obi-Wan Kenobi | Star Wars Celebration LIVE! 2023 on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
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- Indira Varma on Wikipedia
- Indira Varma at the Internet Movie Database
- Indira Varma ( @indiravarma ) on Twitter (backup link (indiravarma) not verified!)