Uma Thurman talks about intense physical prep that went for 'Kill Bill' movies

Los Angeles, July 21 (IANS) Hollywood star Uma Thurman, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming project, The Old Guard 2, has opened up about the intense physical preparation she underwent for “Kill Bill.”

The 55-year-old actress, renowned for her iconic role as The Bride in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol 1 and Vol 2, revealed that her return to action films this year came without time for full training.

Thurman told The Sunday Times: “Fortunately I had put in hundreds of hours learning how to hold a sword (for Kill Bill 1 and 2),” she said.

In her new action film The Old Guard 2, a sequel to the 2020 Netflix action hit, Thurman plays Discord, a 5,000-year-old immortal warrior who engages in an epic sword fight opposite Charlize Theron’s character, Andromache, near a secret nuclear facility, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Thurman added about her Kill Bill muscle memory coming in handy during the shoot: “You may not be limber and strong. But if your brain has learnt how to memorise sequences of movements, you can get back in that zone.”

For Kill Bill, Thurman trained for eight hours a day across three months in preparation for the role.

That experience, she said, proved invaluable when returning to the genre.

Her character in The Old Guard 2 marks her first sword-wielding performance since Quentin Tarantino’s films, and it has been more than two decades since she last performed choreographed combat on screen.

Thurman’s new film is directed by Victoria Mahoney and follows a group of age-old warriors with supernatural powers who fight to protect humanity.

The original, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, was praised for its blend of grounded drama and stylised violence.

Speaking about the appeal of The Old Guard, Thurman said: “I thought that first movie was really unusual, a superb female-led action film that had depth, drama and really beautiful, naturalistic acting.”

She also credited her co-star and producer Charlize Theron, 48, as a major draw for signing on.

Thurman added: “Charlize is a miraculous performer, a very powerful individual and as charismatic in person as on screen. And I liked the idea of playing a supporting role to another actress who I thought had done really significant work in the drama/action field.”

--IANS

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