Aimee Spinks/Netflix(NEW YORK) — KiKi Layne and Charlize Theron are delving into the painful side of immortality in their new Netflix action-thriller, The Old Guard.
For Layne, taking on the role of Nile Freeman — a former Marine-turned immortal mercenary — wasn’t easy, considering it was also her first major action star role.
“It was very different for me,” Layne tells ABC Audio. “Because this is the first time I played [a] character that there was such physicality. And the action is an extension of Nile.”
Layne says becoming Nile required real dedication: “[J]ust doing the proper work and being committed to really prepping my body for that,” she explains. “So that I could get on set and still take care of myself, but still do what I needed to do.
“It definitely meant hours of training that I wasn’t used to,” she continues. “But it was a fun challenge and it had to be done because otherwise the story wasn’t going to be told in the way that it needed to be told.”
Theron agrees, adding that although The Old Guard certainly isn’t her first action film, she still felt the intense demands of getting her character right.
“You’ve got to show up and you have to be consistent in that,” Theron tells ABC Audio. “And on the days where it hurts everywhere, you still have to show up.”
Thankfully, Charlize says, KiKi was the perfect motivator.
“I was very lucky that this time around I got to share some of that experience with Kiki,” she says. “I’ve never really had that before. And that was truly inspiring. In those days where you’re just like, ‘Uh, should I just cancel?’ I always knew Kiki was going to show up. So I showed up.”
The Old Guard arrives Friday on Netflix.
By Candice Williams
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