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Meet Lana Condor, the actress behind one of the newest mutants in 'X-Men: Apocalypse'

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Alan Markfield/20th Century Fox

Newcomer Lana Condor is making her big screen debut this summer in the hotly anticipated "X-Men: Apocalypse," the sixth entry in the longstanding comic book franchise. Condor will appear as fan favorite Jubilee, an energetic young mutant known for her bright, neon wardrobe and her signature ability of shooting neon colored pyrotechnics from her fingertips. She turns a battlefield into a fireworks display.  

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"Apocalypse" is Condor's first Hollywood role. The actress, who was a graduating high school senior when she was first cast, tells Tech Insider she was thrilled to take on the role and doubled down on research for the classic character. 

"After I found out I got cast I was like, 'Now I need to be a pro in everything Jubilee!' I bought like 300 comic books. I was obsessed and I watched all of the movies and cartoons." 

Condor had seen the previous films, but the last entry, 2014's "Days of Future Past" reset the "X-Men" timeline, wiping the slate clean and offering a fresh start for the characters.

"Apocalypse" marks the first big screen appearance for Jubilee since 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," where she appeared on screen without a speaking role. Condor says she worked hard to add dimensions to the beloved character. 

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"[Jubilee is] kind of spunky and she has a bit of ... sass to her," Condor says. "For me, that was so attractive because there are a lot of roles [for women] in Hollywood that might not be as strong of a woman. And Jubilee, she's self-aware and she's happy with herself and for me that was very fun to play. It was kind of empowering, so I really enjoyed that."

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Actresses Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Condor (Jubilee), and Olivia Munn (Psylocke). AP/Eric Charbonneau

"X-Men: Apocalypse" is introducing an entire 'class' of younger characters from the comics, including Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-Mcphee), and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan). Comic book fans are famously critical of big screen adaptations, but Condor tells us she and the other actresses shrugged off the pressure to embody "strong" female characters. 

"It's not like we're weak women as Lana, Alex, and Sophie," she says. "It wasn't that difficult to tap into being powerful superheroes. I like to believe that all of us, we're all strong women just in everyday life. "

While "Apocalypse" marks the first time Jubilee has been more than a background character, Storm and Jean Grey both had major roles in the original 2000 "X-Men" film. Acclaimed actresses Halle Berry and Famke Janssen originated the characters. 

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"In terms of pressure, I think that there was a little more pressure on Sophie and Alex since they ... were playing characters that were already developed. They wanted to live up to those wonderful womens’ performances. But for me, I [could] kind of make it my own,"  says Condor.

Condor says the younger actors helped each other get over the pressures to perform. 

"We all got along really, really well. Going into it I was definitely nervous because these are all such amazing actresses and actors, so I didn't expect anything from them. Like I went into the project expecting not to really make friends because they're maybe so accomplished but the first day I got there Sophie and Tye called me...they called me they were like, 'Hey, wanna go get sushi?' and I was like 'Oh my God, yes!'

Next for the emerging star is "Patriot's Day" with Mark Wahlberg. For now, she's taking it all in and hopes fans will love her personal take on the celebrated character.

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"X-Men: Apocalypse" opens May 27.

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