Ana de Armas has shared the gruelling fitness regime she adopted for her role in the upcoming action thriller ‘Ballerina’ which is part of the John Wick universe.
The acclaimed actress, known for her roles in blockbusters like James Bond film ‘No Time to Die’ and ‘Knives Out’, divulged that she stuck to a “very strict” and comprehensive set of guidelines while filming.
Set to premiere on Friday, June 6, ‘Ballerina’ narratively slots between ‘John Wick: Chapter 3’ and ‘Chapter 4’.
To gear up for her demanding role alongside Keanu Reeves, de Armas endured a punishing workout schedule throughout production.
de Armas described the regimen as “pretty intense” divulging every detail during an Ask Me Anything she participated in on the r/Movies Reddit page last month.
A Reddit user inquired about the level of dedication it took to get physically prepared for such an action-packed movie.
They asked: “What kind of fitness program do you need to go through for a role like this? It must’ve taken some serious commitment and discipline.”
The ‘Ballerina’ lead responded: “It was pretty intense. I had a nutritionist with a very strict diet with low calories. Training schedule was really insane. Strength training for an hour and half. Then stunt training at 8711 for 4-5 hours.”
Her tough timetable didn’t end there. She added, “Then go to the car at the shooting range for another hour or 2 practicing with the guns. Then I would go home and do treadmill with a weighted vest. It was painful but I loved it. It felt good.”
In the discussion, de Armas highlighted the complexities of action filmmaking.
A curious fan posed the question: “In your experience, is there anything that a common moviegoer should understand about fight choreography and what you go through for a movie like this that would make us appreciate action movies more?”
To which she responded: “Action movies are so difficult to make because of the coordination and the unity that we need not just with the actors but the entire crew. The choreography goes beyond just the fight.
“The cameras, the lighting, the special effects, and whatever else has to work perfectly for that shot to work. And it takes a tremendous amount of energy from everybody. Especially in Ballerina, the action scenes are really long. One take and very long. There’s not a lot of cuts.”
The star also shared her surprise at becoming an action hero, revealing a classic film she’d have loved to be part of. She penned: “I don’t think I ever thought I would be an action star.
“I just didn’t consider myself athletic enough to do so. I’m definitely enjoying it. I’m having the time of my life. If I could be in an old action movie, Kill Bill. It’s classic, not old.”