Gina Carano

About Gina Carano

Gina Joy Carano is an American actress, television personality, and pioneering mixed martial artist born in Dallas, Texas, on April 16, 1982. She was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she attended Trinity Christian High School and later graduated from Clark High School. She pursued a degree in psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, for one year before transferring to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, completing three years of study before ultimately leaving to dedicate herself fully to combat sports and martial arts training. 

Her athletic successes paved the way for her film and television biography. She first broke into television as Crush in the reality competition series "American Gladiators" in 2008, following her success as the face of women's mixed martial arts. Carano made her feature film debut as the leading character, Mallory Kane, in David Fincher's action-thriller "Haywire" in 2011. Her physical capabilities led to major roles in high-profile Hollywood blockbusters, including playing Riley Hicks in "Fast & Furious 6" in 2013 and portraying the formidable villain Angel Dust in "Deadpool" in 2016. On television, she achieved widespread pop culture recognition by playing the mercenary warrior Cara Dune in the first two seasons of the Disney+ Star Wars series "The Mandalorian" from 2019 to 2020. Following a highly publicized termination from the franchise, she transitioned into independent cinema, starring in the Western thriller "Terror on the Prairie" in 2022. After nearly seventeen years away from professional fighting, she made an improbable athletic return in May 2026 to face Ronda Rousey in a high-profile bout broadcast on Netflix. 

Personal information regarding her family highlights her upbringing by her mother, Dawna Cason, and her father, Glenn Carano, a former professional NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. She grew up alongside two sisters, Christie and Kristen. In March 2026, ahead of her highly anticipated comeback fight, Carano surprised the public by revealing that she had quietly relocated to a farm in Montana and married her long-term partner and first love, retired Muay Thai fighter Kevin Ross. The couple wed in a private courthouse ceremony in August 2022, and they do not have any children. 

Throughout her transition from the fighting cage to the film industry, Carano has maintained a vocal and unyielding stance on authenticity and resilience. A notable quote regarding her worldview and standard of personal truth emphasizes her outlook on handling external pressure: "In times meant to make us feel powerless, one of the most radical things you can do is embrace who you are and hold respect in yourself." Reflecting on her professional evolution and her identity as a competitor, she has also shared, "A lot of people only know me as an actor, and then they find out I'm a fighter. I missed this feeling, and I think the people that care about me know how precious this is to get back to myself after losing myself for so long."