Charlize Theron has played plenty of stellar action roles in recent years – from Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, to Atomic Blonde’s Lorraine Broughton. But while those characters were both extraordinary in their own ways, her latest all-action performance was its own challenge. In Netflix’s upcoming action-thriller The Old Guard, Theron plays Andy – which might sound pretty everyday. Except, Andy’s full name is Andromache Of Scythia, and she’s an immortal warrior who’s lived 6000 years of Earthly history. Speaking to Empire in a career-spanning interview in the new Heroes Issue, Theron spoke about the challenge of portraying a character who’s lived for six millennia.
“My initial reaction when I read the Old Guard graphic novel was that I felt there was something very grounded in Andy,” she explains. “That was the thing that excited me: despite the concept, she felt real, and not ‘fantasy’. So, I tried to bring a genuine exhaustion to her, and not get bogged down in the idea that she’s lived thousands of years, she’s seen it all, and she knows every kind of martial art there is.” Ah yes, the martial arts. After getting acquainted with David Leitch’s stunt team on Atomic Blonde, Theron once again found herself sparring with the best. “We worked with a lot of Keanu’s original fight team from the first John Wick – Danny Hernandez and those guys,” she says. “So I feel like I’m forever embedded in the action-movie world now because, honestly, those guys are just the best in the industry.”
Read Empire’s full interview with Theron – talking Furiosa, female action heroes, her collaborations with Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman and more – in the Heroes Issue, on sale from Thursday 11 June and available to order online with free UK postage here. The Old Guard arrives on Netflix on 10 July.