Sweet, Sweet Revenge With ASHLEE EVANS-SMITH From THE WORKOUT

It's nothing new to see a fighter make the transition from the ring
to the cinema, with people as far back as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan
and Chuck Norris pioneering the way before a procession of fighters
followed. From Van Damme to Ronda Rousey to Michael Jai White to
Gina Carano, the list goes on, but while some of the attempts at
acting have not been quite as impressive as the actual fighting
career itself, there is always one thing in common. The fight
scenes in their movies are always much more realistic and
believable.
Naturally, someone who has fought professionally would have a
better idea of the practicalities of fighting, and, let's face it,
there are numerous movies out there that depict fighting with no
degree of accuracy whatsoever. But just the mere presence of a
trained fighter in an action movie should instil more confidence in
the final product. At least, it does for me.
Which is why the upcoming action extravaganza The Workout - which
premieres on Amazon on October 28 - was ahead of the game before
the cameras even started rolling, when Ashlee Evans-Smith was cast
in the role of Tank. Evans-Smith has previously fought in the UFC's
bantamweight and flyweight divisions, giving her added advantage
and knowledge when it comes to effectively knowing how to injure an
opponent.
The Workout is an intense found-footage action thriller about an
army ranger whose plans to launch a workout video empire are
shattered when a mob attack leaves his pregnant wife dead. The film
stars Peter Jae (Darkness of Man), Josh Kelly (S.W.A.T.), UFC
fighter Ashlee Evans-Smith, and Augie Duke (Yellowjackets), with
co-writer David Lawrence bringing a sharp narrative edge. Director
James Cullen Bressack has directed over twenty feature films known
for bold storytelling and explosive action, including
collaborations with Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, and Steven Seagal,
all of which sounds like a damn good start!
HEAVY recently sat down with Ashlee Evans-Smith to talk through the
worlds of filmmaking and martial arts. We start by asking Ashlee
about her role in the movie.
"Oh, I love the storyline," she replied. "It's basically two army
rangers - former army rangers - and they have a gym together.
Unfortunately, somebody gets caught up in some bad stuff, and the
pregnant wife gets killed. Then you basically go on a revenge
journey with these badass former Army Rangers who are now doing
crazy stunts. I'm also a former Army Ranger, so I'm basically who I
am in real life - a big old tomboy without the military training -
and I come in and want to help these guys seek revenge, and we
spend the whole movie kicking butt and taking names."
We ask Ashlee if making the transition from the UFC cage to acting
is a difficult process.
"You think it's either going to transfer really easily or be scary
for a stunt partner, but a fun fact is it's both," she laughed.
"There are times where it feels seamless and effortless, and then
there are times where… to pull a punch is so taboo in my sport. You
step all the way into the punch; you don't pull it. And to train
something like that for years and years, it's now a natural
reaction to go full on. So that was a little scary, because I want
to be safe and professional first and foremost. I don't want to
hurt anyone, and I don't want to hurt myself, obviously."
In the full interview, Ashlee discussed her transition from UFC
fighter to actress in The Workout in greater detail. She described
her character, Tank, a former Army Ranger seeking revenge after a
tragic event, and expressed excitement about the project despite
her nerves regarding audience reactions and mixed reviews. Ashlee
reflected on the challenges of adapting her fighting techniques for
film stunts, sharing a humorous incident where she accidentally
landed real punches during a fight scene. She also emphasised the
importance of collaboration with the stunt coordinator, who helps
balance choreography with the actors' input, and noted the
difference between real martial arts and cinematic
portrayals.
Ashlee described The Workout as a blend of action and patriotism,
drawing comparisons to John Wick, and highlighted the authenticity
of the fight scenes due to her martial arts background.
Additionally, Ashlee shared her feelings on this, her debut major
acting role, the differences with filming a 'found footage' movie,
the importance of not paying too much attention to reviews and
more.


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