Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: Shadow Force

Shadow Force Star Kerry Washington on Action with Heart, Prep & More

Kerry Washington (The Six Triple Eight) spoke to Bleeding Cool about her latest Lionsgate action film Shadow Force, training, and more.

Kerry Washington is always thankful to play such a broad range of roles as an actor from modern and period dramas, thrillers, animation, comedy and even the occasional action role with her most memorable work as the star of ABC's Scandal, Universal's Ray (2004), Paramount's Save the Last Dance (2001), and Sony's Django Unchained (2012). Her latest is Lionsgate's Shadow Force, which follows Kyrah (Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy), who were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family's fight becomes all-out war. The Six Triple Eight star spoke to Bleeding Cool about how the Joe Carnahan action film had a meaning that stood out from others in the genre, physical prep, and co-stars.

Shadow Force Star Kerry Washington on Going All In on Joe Carnahan Action Film and Intense Training

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about 'Shadow Force?'

When I read the script for 'Shadow Force,' I got so excited because I'd been wanting to do an action film for a long time. It's been like decades since I've been able to do action, and this one struck me as different, because it's so rooted in love, loyalty, and the lengths parents will go to protect their child. I thought this would be a fun opportunity for me to stretch myself dramatically, but also stretch myself physically, because the stunts are so incredible.

What's it like working with Joe, with his reputation in the action world, and what appealed to you about his and Leon's [Chills] script?

As I said, I love this script because I felt, even though it is this big splashy, badass action adventure, it's so rooted in love and family. That was meaningful to me because the best action movies are the ones where you're invested in why the action is happening. You understand the reason behind the explosion, and this is obviously not a genre I've been able to work in a lot, so having somebody like Joe Carnahan, who is such a proven force in the action world, was a dream. He lives, breathes, and drinks action all the time, so I knew when he was excited about something on set that we had done our jobs right because he's the guy.

Did you have to do any additional physical prep you wouldn't normally have to do for your role as Kyrah, and did you also train with Omar?

Yeah, so we had a ton of training, just general weightlifting and Pilates that I had to ramp up. There was also fight training, fight choreography, stunt training with stunt coordinators, and weapons training. All of it was incredible, exciting, and hard work, but necessary to tell this story in a way that was believable and safe.

Omar and I trained together before shooting started, and it was part of how we developed our chemistry as actors. We got to know each other by fighting, and in the weapons training, our competitive nature planted the seed for that. The fight training helped us learn to communicate, understand each other, and trust each other.

Can you briefly talk about some of your co-stars, like Mark [Strong], Da'Vine Joy [Randolph], and Method Man?

I'm really proud of this cast. Jaleel [Kamara], who plays our son, is extraordinary. He's adorable, and I always say to people like, "Thank God he's so lovable and brilliant in the film" because you have to care about Jaleel to care this movie, so he's fantastic as Ky. Da'Vine Joy and "Method Man" Cliff [Smith] are amazing, they're so funny. They add a level of levity that is necessary to be able to move through the intensity of the film. Obviously, we were so lucky to work with Da'Vine before her fancy Oscar (for 'The Holdovers'), and you can see why. She's such a natural talent, and her toolbox is incredible. She did all her own stunts, and she's a beast. I love her and Cliff; they're so phenomenal and magical together. It's so weird that Mark is such a great bad guy, because he's such a nice person in real life, but he is completely believable as an awful person in the film, which is great, because you don't get to be a hero unless you have a real adversary.

Shadow Force is currently in theaters.

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