Janina Zione Gavankar is a talented American actress and musician born on November 29, 1980. She is trained in various musical instruments, including the piano, vocals, and orchestral percussion. Gavankar earned a degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Throughout her career, Gavankar has played a wide range of roles in television, film, and online productions. Some of her notable characters include Iden Versio in Star Wars: Battlefront II, shapeshifter Luna Garza in True Blood, lesbian lothario Papi in The L Word, and Ms. Dewey, a personification of a Microsoft live search engine.
Gavankar's early career began with roles in TV series such as The L Word, The Gates, and Stargate Atlantis. She also appeared in films like Men, Interrupted, Indian Gangster, and Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. In 2009, she landed a lead role in The League and began to gain recognition for her work.
In addition to her acting career, Gavankar is an avid gamer and has appeared on various gaming shows, including Attack of the Show! and Up All Night. She has also co-hosted gaming segments and reviewed popular games.
Gavankar's role in HBO's True Blood as shapeshifter Luna Garza marked a significant turning point in her career. She went on to appear in other notable shows, including The Vampire Diaries, Husbands, and Arrow. In 2014, she starred as Amita in the video game Far Cry 4 and played Detective Meredith Bose on The Mysteries of Laura.
Gavankar's music career has also been successful. She has released several singles, including "Tell Me What" with Indian artist Pratichee Mohapatra. Her music has been featured in various films and television shows, and she has won numerous awards for her work.
In 2017, Gavankar starred as Iden Versio in the campaign mode of the video game Star Wars Battlefront II. She has also been involved in various charity events, including performing a percussion duet at Carnegie Hall with Questlove for the Best Buddies charity benefit.
In 2018, Gavankar has two films releasing, Blindspotting and The Vanishing of Sidney Hall. She continues to be a talented and versatile actress, musician, and gamer, with a wide range of projects and collaborations under her belt.
