Birds of Prey Star Ella Jay Basco Celebrates Becoming an Action Figure

Birds of Prey hit theaters two weeks ago and despite some reports that the movie was a flop, it actually earned back its budget within the first week. The movie is also a hit with critics and moviegoers alike, earning a Certified Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film stars Margot Robbie in the titular role, but there’s also an exciting line-up of supporting cast members. The youngest person to join the many seasoned actors is Ella Jay Basco, the 13-year-old who portrays Cassandra Cain in the new film. This is Basco’s first big role after appearing in episodes of series such as Veep and Grey’s Anatomy, and she’s clearly excited to be making her mark in the comic book world. Recently, the young actor took to Instagram to celebrate the fact that she’s now an action figure.

“You guys! I have an action figure,” Basco wrote. “Thank you so much @originalfunko for these cool mini pop figures. #minime #cassandracain #teambasco

You can check out the images in the post below:

Many people commented on the post, including the film’s director, Cathy Yan:

“😘,” she wrote.

Basco’s uncle, Dante Basco, who is best known for playing Rufio in Hook, also commented on the post:

“❤️,” he replied.

Recently, Basco spoke about her approach to the character in an interview with A Book Of and shared what other actresses she drew inspiration from.

“I really want to represent the Asian community – that alone inspires me to act because representation and diversity in the industry is super important to me.” Basco revealed. “Some of my idols who inspire me are people like Natalie Portman, Jodie Foster, and most importantly Sandra Oh. When preparing for the role of Cassandra Cain, I actually used them as inspiration, especially Natalie in The Professional and Jodi in Taxi Driver.”

Basco also spoke about what went into her getting the role — including reading some of Cassandra’s comic appearances and fine-tuning her martial arts skills.

“The audition process was a month long and I had to go in about 5 times.” Basco explained. “I watched a bunch of movies, practiced my martial arts skills, and even read some comic books about Cassandra Cain to prepare. When I got the role, my mom picked me up from school right away and told me in the car with my agent on the phone. I was immediately in shock and couldn’t believe I booked it! I worked really hard on this role and got emotional because I wanted this part so bad! I mean I totally cried. I knew from that moment on, my life would change forever.”

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is now playing in theaters everywhere,