Janina Gavankar
Encyclopedia
Janina Zione Gavankar is an Indian-American
actress and musician
of mixed Indian
and Dutch
descent. Gavankar is also trained as a pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. She majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago
.
Gavankar's is known for her more notable roles as Papi, a promiscuous lesbian in The L Word
, Leigh Turner, a cop with a big secret on "The Gates
", and Ms. Dewey
, the personification of a Microsoft
branded search engine who comments about the user's searches. Gavankar has appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as well as Barbershop
and its sequel, Barbershop 2: Back in Business
.
, to Pete and Mohra Gavankar. Her maternal grandmother was Dutch, and her mother, Shan-de-Mohra is half-Indian half-Dutch, from Pune
, India. Her father, Pete Gavankar, is an Indian engineer who first travelled to the United States to pursue a masters degree.
From 2004 to 2010 she was in a relationship with DeviantArt
CEO Angelo Sotira.
, and Ms. Dewey
, a Microsoft
marketing character. She has also appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as well as Barbershop
and its sequel, Barbershop 2: Back in Business
.
Gavankar has appeared on Epileptic Gaming's Up All Night, where she helped review Rock Band, Burnout Paradise
, and Army of Two
.
In 2008, Gavankar appeared in TV series Stargate Atlantis
, Grey's Anatomy
and NCIS
. In 2009, she appeared in The Cleaner
, Dollhouse
and Three Rivers
. Gavankar played the voice of "Nikki" in Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
. She landed a lead role in the now-canceled ABC Television supernatural drama The Gates
.
As of 2011 Gavankar has become a series regular in HBO's True Blood
. She plays a public school teacher and shapeshifter
named Luna Garza, who gets romantically involved with one of the main characters of the series.
She recently revealed she finished filming on a movie called Satellite of Love.
's Love Lockdown
She used to be in Endera, a group signed to Universal Records
. She also collaborated on a project for a song called "Tell Me What" in India with Pratichee Mohapatra of Viva
, Deep (along with Rock Star Anand Bhatt), and Navraaz. She has had songs licensed to movies and television, and has played marimba
on film scores.
Gavankar was featured in Russian artist Ella Leya's music video for "Wish I Could", in the San Francisco band Recliner's music video for their single "Float Away", as well as the music video for Manu Narayan
's band Darunam.
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
actress and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
of mixed Indian
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
descent. Gavankar is also trained as a pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. She majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
.
Gavankar's is known for her more notable roles as Papi, a promiscuous lesbian in The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, Leigh Turner, a cop with a big secret on "The Gates
The Gates (TV series)
The Gates is an American supernatural crime drama television series that aired on the ABC network from June 20, 2010 to September 19, 2010. The show was canceled after its first season due to its poor ratings.-Plot:...
", and Ms. Dewey
Ms. Dewey
Ms. Dewey was a viral marketing campaign started by Microsoft in October 2006. It also refers to the character of the same name, who is the campaign's main subject. The Ms. Dewey website was an Adobe Flash-based experimental interface for Live Search...
, the personification of a Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
branded search engine who comments about the user's searches. Gavankar has appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as well as Barbershop
Barbershop (film)
Barbershop is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Tim Story, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 13, 2002. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, the movie revolves around social life in a barbershop on the South Side of...
and its sequel, Barbershop 2: Back in Business
Barbershop 2: Back in Business
Barbershop 2: Black in Business is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on February 6, 2004...
.
Personal life
Gavankar was born in Joliet, IllinoisJoliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, to Pete and Mohra Gavankar. Her maternal grandmother was Dutch, and her mother, Shan-de-Mohra is half-Indian half-Dutch, from Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, India. Her father, Pete Gavankar, is an Indian engineer who first travelled to the United States to pursue a masters degree.
From 2004 to 2010 she was in a relationship with DeviantArt
DeviantArt
deviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc...
CEO Angelo Sotira.
Career
Gavankar's more notable roles include Papi in The L WordThe L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, and Ms. Dewey
Ms. Dewey
Ms. Dewey was a viral marketing campaign started by Microsoft in October 2006. It also refers to the character of the same name, who is the campaign's main subject. The Ms. Dewey website was an Adobe Flash-based experimental interface for Live Search...
, a Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
marketing character. She has also appeared in theatre, commercials, short films, independent films, as well as Barbershop
Barbershop (film)
Barbershop is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Tim Story, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 13, 2002. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, the movie revolves around social life in a barbershop on the South Side of...
and its sequel, Barbershop 2: Back in Business
Barbershop 2: Back in Business
Barbershop 2: Black in Business is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on February 6, 2004...
.
Gavankar has appeared on Epileptic Gaming's Up All Night, where she helped review Rock Band, Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise
Burnout Paradise is the seventh game in the Burnout racing video game series. It was developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in January 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and on February 5, 2009 for Microsoft Windows...
, and Army of Two
Army of Two
Army of Two is a third person shooter video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It was released on March 4, 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The game is centered upon two mercenaries fighting through war, political turmoil, and a conspiracy from 1993 to 2009...
.
In 2008, Gavankar appeared in TV series Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
. In 2009, she appeared in The Cleaner
The Cleaner (TV series)
The Cleaner was an A&E television series starring Benjamin Bratt. It debuted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:00 pm EST and the last episode aired on September 15, 2009, when the show was officially cancelled....
, Dollhouse
Dollhouse (TV series)
Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010...
and Three Rivers
Three Rivers (TV series)
Three Rivers is a medical drama, which premiered on CBS on October 4, 2009 and aired Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time. The series was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a fictional hospital specializing in transplants, with Alex O'Loughlin starring as a famous transplant surgeon...
. Gavankar played the voice of "Nikki" in Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is a 2010 animated educational sci-fi adventure film, written by Harry 'Doc' Kloor and directed by Kloor and Dan St. Pierre, as a science fiction film that takes the viewer on an atomic adventure in space.The voice cast originally included Christian Slater,...
. She landed a lead role in the now-canceled ABC Television supernatural drama The Gates
The Gates (TV series)
The Gates is an American supernatural crime drama television series that aired on the ABC network from June 20, 2010 to September 19, 2010. The show was canceled after its first season due to its poor ratings.-Plot:...
.
As of 2011 Gavankar has become a series regular in HBO's True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
. She plays a public school teacher and shapeshifter
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
named Luna Garza, who gets romantically involved with one of the main characters of the series.
She recently revealed she finished filming on a movie called Satellite of Love.
Music
Gavankar has returned to music with a rethinking of Kanye WestKanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's Love Lockdown
Love Lockdown
"Love Lockdown" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 18, 2008 as the lead single of his studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Written and produced by West and musician Jeff Bhasker, it was premiered by West at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards prior to its release as a single...
She used to be in Endera, a group signed to Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
. She also collaborated on a project for a song called "Tell Me What" in India with Pratichee Mohapatra of Viva
Viva (band)
Viva or Viva! is an Indian pop girl group that formed in 2002, and have disbanded since...
, Deep (along with Rock Star Anand Bhatt), and Navraaz. She has had songs licensed to movies and television, and has played marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
on film scores.
Gavankar was featured in Russian artist Ella Leya's music video for "Wish I Could", in the San Francisco band Recliner's music video for their single "Float Away", as well as the music video for Manu Narayan
Manu Narayan
Manu Narayan is an American actor. He has been hailed as a "promising young star...a compelling actor and outstanding singer who can light up a stage with sheer force of personality." Manu has starred on Broadway, and co-stars as Rajneesh alongside Mike Myers in the Paramount Pictures' Film The...
's band Darunam.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Why Is God | Mina | |
| 2002 | Barbershop Barbershop (film) Barbershop is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Tim Story, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on September 13, 2002. Starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, the movie revolves around social life in a barbershop on the South Side of... |
Fine Woman | |
| 2003 | Dark | Kaya | |
| 2004 | Barbershop 2: Back in Business Barbershop 2: Back in Business Barbershop 2: Black in Business is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, produced by State Street Pictures and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on February 6, 2004... |
Field Reporter | Sequel |
| 2005 | Cup of My Blood | Iona | |
| 2006 | BBQ Bill | The Fiance | |
| Ms. Dewey Ms. Dewey Ms. Dewey was a viral marketing campaign started by Microsoft in October 2006. It also refers to the character of the same name, who is the campaign's main subject. The Ms. Dewey website was an Adobe Flash-based experimental interface for Live Search... |
Ms. Dewey | ||
| 2007 | The L Word The L Word The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood... |
Papi | TV series |
| Dash 4 Cash | Melanie | TV series | |
| Epileptic Gaming | Janina Gavankar | ||
| 2008 | Shattered! | Maria | |
| Factory Factory (TV series) Factory was a comedy television series. It premiered on Sunday, 29 June 2008 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern/9:00 p.m. Central on Spike. The series, produced by 3 Arts Entertainment, is directed by and stars Mitch Rouse and fellow comedians Michael Coleman, Jay Leggett and David Pasquesi.The pilot... |
Laura | TV series | |
| My Boys | Terri | TV series | |
| Stargate Atlantis Stargate Atlantis Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself... |
Sgt. "Dusty" Mehra | TV series | |
| Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in... |
Lisa | TV series | |
| NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Angela | TV series | |
| 2009 | The L Word The L Word The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood... |
Papi | TV series |
| NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Angela | TV series | |
| Dollhouse (TV series) Dollhouse (TV series) Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010... |
Lynn | TV series | |
| The Cleaner The Cleaner (TV series) The Cleaner was an A&E television series starring Benjamin Bratt. It debuted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:00 pm EST and the last episode aired on September 15, 2009, when the show was officially cancelled.... |
Usha | TV series | |
| Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey is a 2010 animated educational sci-fi adventure film, written by Harry 'Doc' Kloor and directed by Kloor and Dan St. Pierre, as a science fiction film that takes the viewer on an atomic adventure in space.The voice cast originally included Christian Slater,... |
Nikki (voice) | Animated Movie | |
| Men, Interrupted | Cece Smith | Independent Movie | |
| Three Rivers Three Rivers (TV series) Three Rivers is a medical drama, which premiered on CBS on October 4, 2009 and aired Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time. The series was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a fictional hospital specializing in transplants, with Alex O'Loughlin starring as a famous transplant surgeon... |
Ada | TV series | |
| Indian Gangster | Geeta | Independent Movie | |
| The League The League The League is an American sitcom that premiered on FX on October 29, 2009. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy about a fantasy football league, its members, and their everyday lives.-Synopsis:... |
Shiva | TV Series | |
| 2010 | 6 Month Rule | Reese | Independent Movie |
| The Gates The Gates (TV series) The Gates is an American supernatural crime drama television series that aired on the ABC network from June 20, 2010 to September 19, 2010. The show was canceled after its first season due to its poor ratings.-Plot:... |
Leigh | TV series | |
| The League The League The League is an American sitcom that premiered on FX on October 29, 2009. The series, set in Chicago, is a semi-improvised comedy about a fantasy football league, its members, and their everyday lives.-Synopsis:... |
Shiva | TV Series | |
| 2011 | The Custom Mary | Ms. Rime | Independent Movie |
| "Traffic Light" | Alexa | TV Series | |
| The Exes The Exes The Exes is an American comedy television series starring Donald Faison, Wayne Knight, Kristen Johnston, David Alan Basche and Kelly Stables... |
Kerry | TV Series | |
| Method Shapeshifting | Herself | Funny or Die Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates... short |
|
| '"Herpacol DX | Actress | Funny or Die Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates... Short |
|
| "God Reschedules Rapture" | Blogger | Funny Or Die Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates... short |
|
| True Blood True Blood True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana... |
Luna (Navaho Nation (Dine) | TV Series | |
| Satellite of Love | Michelle | Movie |