HEAR THEM ROAR
Co-stars meet Amazonian physical challenge with joy, camaraderie
Connie Nielsen and Robin Wright were physically committed to playing Amazonian warriors in the film Wonder Woman. They had to be.
Nielsen plays Wonder Woman’s mother, Queen Hippolyta, who rules on the all-female island of Themyscira. Wright portrays Wonder Woman’s aunt, General Antiope, who trains her niece in the deadly art of combat.
Filming the island scenes off Italy’s Amalfi coast turned out to be a bonding experience for more than 100 female performers. Together they learned how to ride horses, fight with swords, throw spears and shoot arrows under the tutelage of director Patty Jenkins.
The overall impact:
“We had such a blast doing it,” Nielsen says. “When I see the film, I see the energy that was on the set. All that fun, joy and camaraderie, is up on the screen.”
Catching up is difficult:
Due to scheduling conflicts, Wright arrived at the shoot at least three weeks later than everyone else. “I felt bad for Robin,” Nielsen says.
Says Wright, “They had been there becoming Incredible Hunk females.” She did her best to catch up with lifting weights, extra cardio workouts and more intense fight training.
“The most challenging was how much food I had to ingest just to put on mass quickly.” Wright says. “That was sickening.” The Amazonian duds dilemma:
“The costumes basically made it, of course, super hard to move. But they did make you feel badass,” Nielsen says.
“It was the leather underwear,” jokes Wright. “That was key.”
“Fighting in a corset — not good,” Nielsen says. “At 5 (in the afternoon) we were all dying to get out of the corsets. You start swelling up inside.”
Obsession as a survival tactic:
“Both Robin and I were just insane about the whole stunt training and getting to wield those swords — and the bow and arrow, in Robin’s case,” Nielsen says.
“I can’t believe it’s the only time in my career I’ve had the chance to do that.”
The injury report:
Most of the Amazonian cast suffered bumps, bruises and muscle strains over the weeks of filming. Wright was the unlucky one.
“Oh, like serious injury?” she says. “Like hospitalized a couple of times just from trying to run 100 yards in the sand — hip flexor pull.” It could’ve been worse. I know. Thank God for the stunt crew.”