Millie Bobby Brown not only played the action hero in her most recent movie Damsel, but she also lived like one. The 19-year-old actress has revealed that she was inspired by one of Hollywood's most well-known daredevils and insisted on doing every stunt herself, "start to finish."
"It feels like I'm the female Tom Cruise," Brown exclaimed with pride during an interview adding, "I want to carry on with it. I put in a lot of training for this."
An Adrenaline-Fueled Passion Project
The Stranger Things star's chance to show off her stunt skills even elevated her performance level, all thanks to Damsel. She had a strong enthusiasm for this project right from the start.
"This movie really got me excited…, “Brown told The Daily Caller adding, "I went to work bright and early every morning to get ready, and I watched all the rehearsals." She further added, "I did every single stunt, start to finish, thanks to the most wonderful stunt coordinators."
Becoming One with the Stunts
Brown put her whole self into the stunt work, striving to make the action scenes as authentic as possible, rather than merely going through the motions. Videos of her rehearsing choreography, working with a harness, and making bold leaps have already gone viral on social media.
She earlier told ANI News, "I had to do an astounding amount of preparation for the stunts in this movie," and claimed, "I was very hands-on when it came to learning the choreography and applying it on sets."
Being able to perform her own stunts gave Brown the ability to fully inhabit the role. She stated to People, "I adore being in it; I don't like the over-the-shoulder...My goal is for the audience to experience a sense of immersion."
Respect for Stunt Professionals
Although Brown made a comparison to Tom Cruise's well-known stunt work ethic, she was cautious to acknowledge the skilled experts who enabled those incredible scenes.
"I'm not at all a stunt performer... However, I simply adore working on that project and working with such amazing stunt coordinators," she explained to The Hollywood Reporter and added, "They make me feel so safe." Brown expressed his amazement at the stunt team's abilities in a video interview with the Daily Mail, adding, "They are crazy—in the best way! You feel so empowered around them."
From Reluctant Student to Action Master
It's a significant change for the British actress, who revealed to Outlook India that prior to receiving training, she was "very scared" to perform stunt works on Stranger Things. She has also embraced the adrenaline rush wholeheartedly now, "I'm not letting a stunt performer have all the fun!" Brown also feels in her element as she shares, "I want to do it because I crave that adrenaline rush... I am in my element."
Damsel will surely give viewers a chance to see Brown's tenaciously physical portrayal up close. It's going to be an exciting voyage, if her Tom Cruise parallels are any guide.
