You know how some people say that you learn something new everyday? Well, I was just informed as to how much of a badass JANE THE VIRGIN actress Gina Rodriguez is in real life. According to a new spread by Entertainment Weekly, the Chicago-born star is well trained in the boxing art of Muay Thai, making her a bonafide threat both in and out of the ring. As it happens, Ms. Rodriguez will soon get the chance to display some of her warrior chops when starring in the upcoming dramatic action thriller MISS BALA. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT, THIRTEEN), MISS BALA tells the tale of a beauty contest winner who is forced to work for a crime boss after she witnesses a murder. If the premise of the movie sounds familiar, that's because it's a remake of the 2011 Gerardo Naranjo-directed thriller that starred Stephanie Sigman in the title role.
Today, EW has debuted a collection of first look photos featuring Rodriguez's Gloria as well as a few of her co-stars getting up to no good. You can take a look at the pics below:
Also set to star in Hardwicke's latest feature are Anthony Mackie (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, THE HURT LOCKER), Matt Luria (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, PERSON OF INTEREST), and Aislinn Derbez (EASY).
“I had been dying to do action for so long, and it’s very difficult because people of color don’t have as many opportunities,” Rodriguez said of her chance to play Gloria in the film. “And that’s not even like a ‘Woe is me.’ That’s just a reality, and that’s okay. That has been a reality of mine for many, many, many years. [With Miss Bala], Sony made a big-budget action film with a 95 percent Latinx cast and 95 percent Latinx production crew. It’s revolutionary. It’s just really great to live in these spaces that for so long I didn’t have the opportunity to.”
In addition to speaking on what an honor it is to lead such an inclusive production for MISS BALA, Rodriguez also spoke with EW about why she feels that the film is special, not just for her, but for many of the women she's known throughout her life. “It’s a re-conceptualizing of the original film, and it’s more modern. [Gloria is] someone that’s actively trying to save herself and her family. I think that’s really amazing because a lot of the women in my life, they actively work toward keeping their families safe, and they actively try to fix situations. There’s no woman I know in my life that just sits back. Women aren’t necessarily always portrayed as proactively trying to save ourselves in action films. It’s very empowering to see those stories because I know that’s what the women in my life do.”
Rodriguez then went on to talk about why MISS BALA feels like a "next-level" project for her, and how she sees it as a way to change the game for women looking to make their break in the action genre. “The opportunity to make this with my fellow Latinos and Latinas was next-level,” she says. “I’m like, ‘They’re going to let us do this?! They’re going to let us be in front of and behind the camera and they’re going to give us money to make this?!’ This is inclusivity. This is what I’m talking about.”
For the full interview, be sure to check out EW's post here. Additionally, while we're waiting for the film's January 25, 2019 release, why not take a look at a stunning new poster for the upcoming action roller coaster?