What is Gina Carano's ethnicity? 'The Mandalorian' actor fired over 'anti-Semitic' posts is daughter of ex-NFL star
Actress Gina Carano, who plays the role of Rebel Alliance soldier Cara Dune on 'The Mandalorian' series, has been fired from the franchise after she shared an offensive and racist social media post. The post shared by Carano implied that being a Republican in present times is similar to being Jewish during the Holocaust, stated The Hollywood Reporter.
The post spurred a lot of controversies and Carano was slammed for the insensitive and problematic post on her Instagram account. Even the hashtag #FireGinaCarano started trending in a short while. Though Carano deleted the post following the backlash, screenshots of the same were already being circulated all over the Internet.
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A spokesperson from Lucasfilm, the production house behind the 'Star Wars' franchise, confirmed in a statement about Carano's termination. "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future. Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable" — read an excerpt from the statement.
What is Gina Carano's ethnicity?
Gina Carano was born on April 16, 1982, in Dallas County, Texas, as the second daughter to former NFL player Glenn Carano and Dana Joy Cason. Gina is the middle child with an older sister, Casey, and a younger sister, Christie. Her parents got divorced when she was 7 years old, after which she was raised by Glenn Carano's second wife Lamise. Gina is of Italian descent.
Her father Glenn Carano used to play as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and also played for the Dallas Cowboys for seven seasons. He was inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. After his retirement, Glenn Carrano devoted his attention to managing resorts and casinos. He is currently the general manager of Eldorado Resorts properties — Circus Circus, Eldorado, and Silver Legacy.
Gina Carano's childhood and early career
Gina Carano grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada where she studied at the Trinity Christian High School. At school, she was the leader of the girls' basketball team and even earned a state title for her school team. Alongside, she also played volleyball and softball. After graduating high school, Carano pursued a degree in Psychology for three years at the University of Nevada.
Unknown to many, Carano did not start her career in the entertainment industry. A sports enthusiast from her childhood, she found her passion in mixed martial arts after learning Muay Thai. She holds a near-perfect record in MMA with professional fighting statistics at 16-1-1.
Carano's career in films started in 2005 with the cult film 'Ring Girls'. From there, she has gone on to mentor actors, actresses, and aspiring fighters in martial arts. Carano also starred in 'In The Blood', 'Haywire', 'The Expendables', 'Fast & Furious 6', 'Extraction', 'Deadpool' and ultimately 'The Mandalorian'.
This is not the first time Carano has found herself in controversy. She has always been quite outspoken about her conservative and problematic views. For instance, in November 2020, she mocked the practice of wearing masks due to Covid-19. After the 2020 presidential elections, she tweeted suggesting voter fraud.
After Lucasfilm fired her, UTA also dropped Carano from their client list.