Author Archives: p0d

Gina Carano’s early thoughts on Fast 6, The Rock, other co-stars and more

Gina Carano shares her early thoughts on Fast 6, her co-stars and recounts Haywire to top UK based film site - Filmoria.com  First of all, congratulations on your success in Haywire. How did you get involved in the role of Mallory Kane?                                      -Steven Soderbergh actually saw me fighting on CBS and then gave my management and agent a call. I’d just lost my first fight to Cyborg so I was just kinda depressed and he took the train up from LA and we had a four hour lunch. He asked if I wanted to do a movie and I was like, ‘yeah sure’ and then he went on to say he didn’t have a script, producers or actors confirmed and explained him and writer Lem Dobbs would get working on it. It was incredible how fast it moved. The script ended up being good for me as Mallory is nothing like me and then he (Soderbergh) had me train with a secret service guy for seven months instead of an acting coach. It must have been an overwhelming experience being touted by a top Hollywood director. How did you feel when you got the call and met up? -I’m from the fighting world so I didn’t really know who Steven Soderbergh was. I didn’t really know anyone’s names so I was very clueless on Hollywood. Since then, I have received the full education, believe me, and after it’s all said and done, I look back and can’t believe he did what he did and I couldn’t be more grateful.   (continued…) (James Thompson – @thommojo3)

Gina Carano on: Rihanna (literally), naked Fassbender (NOT literally), joining a top stunt team, mma, action role models & more *updated 05/03

“It looks really positive and I’m so excited.” (about potentially being a part of The Fast and Furious series) Gina doesn’t know if the Rihanna (joining Fast 6 as a villain) “rumor is true…I would love to see me and Rihanna go at it,” she said. ”That would be hot.” (*update 05/03 – Rihanna’s rep confirmed to MTV news that “As far as I’m aware this is not true.”) Carano says she still hasn’t seen Fassbender’s now legendary full frontal work in Shame. ”I’ve never been asked about something as much as I have than about Michael’s penis,” she laughed. “I feel bad for him. What an awful thing to have to deal with.” (E!Online – Marc Malkin) (credit: swinjen)   “We’re still in negotiations (on Fast 6) and everything’s going smoothly, but it really looks like this is going to happen…I’m geeked out.” Gina Carano has moved to Los Angeles and joined the stunt choreography team from Haywire – 87Eleven, full-time. “We’re doing all sorts of martial arts that I wasn’t able to practice when I was doing MMA,” said Carano. “I’m really broadening my horizon as far as my skills go. Some days I’m doing tae kwon do, some days it’s judo, some days it’s boxing or muay Thai or swordplay or gymnastics. I’m getting my fix in without meaning to.” “(The 87Eleven team is) every 12-year-old boy’s dream because you’re kicking and jumping and flipping around …I fall in love with athletes and actors for their art and how they express it – not necessarily if they’re winning all of their fights or if they’re getting all the best roles in the movies,” … “I think a part of what makes the kick-fighting [part of MMA] exciting and in watching guys like Jon Jones is the creativity. That spark has really ignited again in my life in being creative and using your body in creative ways.” After Fast 6, which shoots in London during the summer Olympics, Carano plans to film In The Blood, an action thriller set in the Caribbean. Carano said she hasn’t been able to completely stifle her urges to return to MMA someday but understands she’s broadening the appeal of female fighters in the mainstream with her new career. Responses like the one Invicta FC got are only the beginning, she said. “There’s no women like this in the world. I know the life and what these women go through everyday. They’re an inspiration … Continue reading →

Gina Carano on the prospect of The Fast and Furious 6, recollecting Haywire, karoake & more…(*updated 04/30)

-Gina shows a reporter how to wrap hands (PaulaLamas) -recalling Haywire, going from it to Fast 6, & more (MTV –  @KPSull) -her action role and responsibility, & more (MTV – @KPSull) -her background, the men of Haywire, & more ( StarPulse) -musicals, karoake, feminine strength , & more (TheInsider) (paula-lamas.blogspot.com) “We got a call about two weeks ago to do ‘The Fast and the Furious 6,“ Carano said. “We’re in negotiations for that, so if that goes through, that will be a really cool opportunity for me to get my feet wet on another big-budget film and be around all these different types of actors.” Carano seemed pleased at the idea of appealing to different bases of fans within the action genre, moving from the art-house appeal of “Haywire” to the mainstream explosions of “Fast & Furious.” “I’m going to go from the ‘Haywire’ crew to the ‘Fast 6′ crew, so I’m going to get a very broad range of knowledge as far as people go,” she said. “It’s like two different high school groups. You’ve got the very artistic, and then you’ve got the action group of athletes, like hard-core. Very different personalities there.” Carano is in negotiations to play a member of Dwayne Johnson’s team in the upcoming sequel directed by “Fast Five” helmer Justin Lin. As for whether Carano has begun sizing up her soon-to-be castmates, she said that’s not something she has to think about. “No, I’m pretty secure. I don’t need to size anybody up. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about giving a good performance and understanding my character. That’s what I’ll focus on.” The actress wouldn’t say for sure how close she was to signing on, but remained optimistic about her prospects. “It will be really good for me, and I’m completely open to it,” Carano said. “If negotiations go good, we’ll probably start filming that.” (..continued) (MTV.com – Kevin P. Sullivan @KPSull )

Chuck Norris video tribute to Gina Carano at ActionFest, J.J Perry & more

Watch the legendary Chuck Norris honor Gina Carano in this testimonial video that preceded her award at ActionFest 2012, as well as Action Director of the Year, J.J. Perry. Also, checkout special video montages of rising action star, Cung Le, and action luminaries, Jack Gill and Mickey Gilbert, by clicking here. (twitchfilm.com) – (credit: swinjen) (twitchfilm.com) – (credit: swinjen) ; ;

Gina Carano – more at ActionFest 2012, also featuring Cung Le & JJ Perry (*updated 4-20-12)

Chick Norris Award winner Gina Carano, speaks about authenticity in action films & more: – in a ReelzChannel video (Reelz.com) – in an interview with The Action Flick Chick -MTV (MTV.com, ActionFlickChick.com) – with JJ Perry & Cung Le, giving ten ways to make better action films (Movies.com) Then, Fight Director of the Year JJ Perry, expounds on his craft, as well as past & current projects. (ActionFest.com, Craveonline.com) Let’s begin with how you became an MMA fighter. I was just kind of going to college because that was what everybody around me told me to do. I didn’t have any passion and trying to find myself. I was dating a guy at the time who loved Bruce Lee. One night we were all hanging out drinking 40s, and he was like, “You know what? I’m gonna be done with this life. I’m gonna lose you if I don’t improve my life.” So he went the next day to Master Toddy’s Muay Thai. I would go and watch him. Finally, the Thai master to me, “Oh baby, you need to lose weight. You fat.” And I was like, “Oh God, like, okay.” I signed up for lessons with him, and five months later I found myself in San Francisco in a little tiny gym, kind of like a “Fight Club”-type of scenario. And I was fighting. Ever since I did that, I was just kind of addicted to it. Do you have go-to badass move? I was in a fight in high school, and I overhand-righted this girl because she started attacking me at a basketball game. My first ever fight! I’ve had professional fighters come up to me and ask me about my overhand-right. It just came so naturally. (…continued) (credit jr)

Interview & pics: Gina Carano further in depth on next movie, Wonder Woman, female action stars and more

FilmSchoolRejects.com spoke with Gina Carano, the recipient and inspiration for The Chick Norris Best Female Action Star Award, at ActionFest 2012. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us. Not a problem. Film School Rejects, that’s an incredible name. Thank you very much, we do the best we can. That’s kind of how we operate, we appreciate films as if we went to film school and yet all managed to get kicked out before graduation. I like that. I wanted to talk to you a little bit about making the transition from MMA to film. Specifically, did you find it difficult to work within scripted fight sequences after coming from something as visceral and in the moment as mixed martial arts? Actually I found it, in a way, enlightening and freeing. It allowed me to do what I love to do without worrying about having to have a fight at the end of those two months of training. Instead it was more like choreography for a dance, but still letting me do what I love, and that was a ton of fun for me. It was a way for me to explore my passion without getting hurt or having to hurt someone else. It was beautiful actually. When you’re fighting in gyms, you have to spar all the time. Sometimes you’re better than your sparring partner, sometimes you’re worse, but you have to use a certain amount of control. I took that same mentality, “I’m not trying to hurt this person, I’m trying to work with this person.” It was an easy transition actually.   (continued …) (credit: swinjen, M1, & EoinA)

Interviews – Gina Carano on her status, Haywire, her next movie, new stunt training, & more

  CraveOnline & Movies.com spoke with Gina Carano on: Haywire, her status, new movie ‘In The Blood’ and more. Congratulations on your ActionFest award. Thank you, thank you. It’s really cool that they finally have an award like that that they’re giving out and I’m really looking forward to seeing the women after me get it. What highlights from your fights do you hope they show in the clip reel? You know what, I’ve never actually been to one of these award things, so they’re going to show a clip real? I’m fine with whatever. They can show anything. I’m really proud to have come from MMA and to be a part of that. I think it’s an amazing sport and they’re such wonderful people and such wonderful females that are part of it too, so it’s really kind of an honor to represent my sport in that way. It’s really kind of awesome also for me to represent stunts because I think those people put out such wonderful, beautiful fight scenes that we get to enjoy all the time and they actually put their lives on the line a lot of the time too and it’s really nice to be a part of an event that really shows people that side to it and honors people that are part of the stunts and all that. Have you gotten new fans from movies? Yeah, I think so. I’ve been actually surprised. A lot of people enjoyed the film Haywire and a lot of people have mixed feelings on it but regardless, a lot of people have said really wonderful things about it being my first experience, that the fighting they absolutely enjoyed. So I think I’ve gotten a lot more fans actually. I’m so surprised. I’m really surprised how many people knew me as Gina Carano. MMA has a beautiful fan base.    (continued) (credit: EoinA)

Gina Carano at Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Oscar party

Click here for Video. Donate to the cause by clicking the logo below.     credit: LARA & Getty Images  

Vote for Gina Carano on “Maxim’s Hot 100″ list of 2012

Let’s get Gina beyond her past score of #16 on this year’s list! Click the pic below to vote. . credit: pedro & poleaxed

critics’ consensus: Haywire – a good genre jaunt for Soderbergh & Gina Carano is your new action heroine

 RICHARD ROEPER: (Grade: A) -”Haywire a refreshing changeup (from quick-cuts and stunt-doubling in action films)…plays like an indy version of franchises such as Mission:Impossible.“ -”Gina Carano makes a spectacular debut…a few line readings are a bit flat, but she has an enormously appealing, natural screen presence…think The Rock, only way cuter…a memorable debut” (ReelzChannel) ROGER EBERT – Sun Times: (3 out of 4 stars) -”Carano can hold her own…I expect her to become a considerable box-office success, because the fact is, within a limited range, she’s good.” -”Haywire has no lasting significance…but(is) a first-rate genre thriller.” – Peter Travers – Rolling Stone: (3.5 out of 4 stars) “She more than holds her own with the big boys…Carano is poetry in kick-ass motion.” “Haywire comes close to achieving Soderbergh’s goal of creating “a Pam Grier movie made by Alfred Hitchcock.”

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