Admiral Garrick Versio: Interview with Anthony Skordi
- Written by Fabio Fiori
- Published onApril 4, 2019 @ 10:30am
Admiral Garrick Versio was without a doubt one of the most influential Imperial officers. His determination and extreme loyalty made him an indispensable asset for the Empire, as he was responsible for creating Inferno Squad, an Imperial Special Forces commando unit committed to mitigating the Rebel threat after the destruction of the first Death Star. Among his accomplishments, he brought numerous victories such as the destruction of the Dreamers (an extremist group inspired by the late Saw Gerrera) and committed to the inclusion of his home world Vardos into Imperial control.
Garrick was also father of Iden Versio, commander of Inferno Squad. The relationship between the two was very strict and duty oriented. Garrick always found a way to push Iden to the limit and to never let family emotional attachment get in the way of the mission (if you want to find out more about Garrick and Iden’s past, make sure to check out Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden). Soon after the death of Emperor Palpatine and the commencing of Operation Cinder, Iden soon realized she was fighting on the wrong side and defected the Empire and betrayed her father. The two will not meet again until the very last moment of the Battle of Jakku, where Iden tries to rescue her father, an in vain attempt as Admiral Garrick Versio decides to be loyal to the Empire and not to abandon his ship.
I recently had the honor to interview Anthony Skordi via email and ask him about Admiral Garrick Versio and his experience playing such an iconic character in the Imperial ranks. We discussed character development, the challenges of acting in a motion capture environment, and Anthony’s memories working with the cast and crew of Star Wars Battlefront II.
TatooineTimes.com: Most Imperial officers we know in Star Wars are cold blooded with suppressed emotions (at least on the outside). What was your initial thought process of giving Admiral Versio such passion and emotional drive for the Empire?
Anthony Skordi: I wanted to play him humane and also not totally compromise my paternal feelings toward her. She has lost her mother, my wife too. I cannot be too soft either. We never really know what someone’s inner life, what battles and demons one is fighting.
As actors we agree or disagree with the characters we play, but we must like them. We have options on how we want to make the audience feel. Whether we achieve that or not is another story.
Do I agree with the Empire’s point of view? Hopefully in the end, one will realize what my thoughts really are.
TatooineTimes.com: Working with family members can sometimes affect relationships and job assignments. The Versios are not exempt from such complex dynamics. How would you describe Garrick’s relationship with his daughter, Iden?
Anthony Skordi: My relationship with Iden was stricter than it would be for another officer of similar rank. That was for a couple of reasons. I didn’t want to show any favoritism toward her, in fact, I wanted to be tougher on her; more for her sake in regard to the other officers and she also had to know that she couldn’t pull one over on me.
TatooineTimes.com: Loyal to the end, do you think Garrick might have changed his mind from abandoning his ship, the Eviscerator, if Iden never defected the Empire?
Anthony Skordi: I cannot honestly answer that question. All I can tell you is that I take responsibility for my actions.
TatooineTimes.com: What was your biggest challenge while performing in a motion capture environment?
Anthony Skordi: Working with the motion capture rig on, no sets, no costume. It is a cross between film and theatre but my colleges made it easier to suspend my disbelief…Janina [Gavankar]’s performance was phenomenal as were my other cast members.
TatooineTimes.com: What was your favorite memory working on Star Wars Battlefront II?
Anthony Skordi: All of it. The team from [Writer] Mitch Dyer to [Cinematic Performance Director] Tom Keegan to [Director] Mark Thompson to my fellow cast members made it a piece of work that I will always look back on fondly… The reaction of the fans, the induction into the Star Wars canon.
TatooineTimes.com: We know you are a big gamer and Star Wars fan. What is your favorite Star Wars game to date?
Anthony Skordi: Star Wars Battlefront II of course.
TatooineTimes.com: What story about Admiral Versio would you like to see in the future?
Anthony Skordi: Did the Admiral survive or not, we don’t actually see him die!
We would like to thank Anthony Skordi for this generous interview and for giving us such wonderful insights about Admiral Garrick Versio. Make sure to visit his social media pages on Instagram and Twitter.
Fabio Fiori
Fabio Fiori is the Founder and Creative Director of Tatooine Times. He grew up watching the prequels and loving everything Star Wars. He is searching for the most interesting Star Wars content and tries his hardest to write about it.