Sofia Boutella

the Star Trek Beyond star unleashes ancient egyptian hell in The Mummy

few performers have crafted a film career that so casually demolishes the barriers between media like Sofia Boutella. As a child, the Algerian-born actress studied classical dance and became a rhythmic gymnast on the French national team, before finding fame as a professional street dancer. But a love of film drove her to pursue acting, and she won her first major role as the salsa dancer Eva in 2012’s

StreetDance 2. 2015’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, in which she starred as the deadly henchwoman Gazelle, won her the approval of genre film fans. And she followed that super-spy hit with her turn as the Enterprise crew’s alien ally Jaylah in last year’s

Star Trek Beyond. Her biggest film, however, is her latest: Universal’s The Mummy, in which she reinvents the monstrous title role for a new generation of filmgoers…

What can you tell us about your role in The Mummy?

Ahmanet is a princess that’s been deceived. She trained very hard to become pharaoh. You see some aspects of her training in the film. You see she had to work hard to earn her father’s blessings and recognition. She works hard for that title, and she’s discredited. Because her father met a woman and he had a child, a boy. It was frustrating for her to see that just because she’s a woman she hasn’t been given his status. But she knows how to summon the gods, so like some of us when we have nothing to lose she makes the wrong choice. She summons the wrong god and she’s cursed forever. Then in modern day she comes back and she still goes after what she’s been promised.

You’ve given every character you’ve played a distinct physicality. How did you prepare for this film?

I looked a lot into the history of ancient Egypt, and also the mystical aspect of Egyptian mythology. I looked up how they went about worshipping the gods and how they went about trying to look like them. What I wanted to find in her was her demeanour, how she moved around, being a princess that’s been deceived. She very much carried herself like a queen. Not that I haven’t played powerful characters, but it’s another extreme form of power and commanding the space and people around you. I hope I found it. I haven’t seen the film yet, but I hope it translates. Because it has to be even bigger than I felt it in order to.

Is it more fun playing bad guys than good guys?

I love playing bad guys. When I watch a film I’m always drawn to the bad guys because they unleash something that a lot of people don’t decide to unleash. We’re fascinated by people who are able to be mean. My favourite bad guys in movies are characters that make me understand why they do what they do, although I disagree with their approach. I loved exploring the psychology of the Mummy. One of my main concerns was not to play just a monster in the film, but a monster that has a reason to be so monstrous and so vicious. That had to be understandable by everybody. My main purpose was to find her humanity.

Were you a fan of science fiction and fantasy films before starring in them?

I can get pretty nerdy with films [laughs]. I was into all sorts of films. I grew up watching some quite obscure films.

Possession is one of my favourite films. It’s a movie that’s not known enough. Wings Of Desire is also one of my favourite films. I was entertained by The Matrix and Jurassic Park. I love The Exorcist. I love Dark City too. I remember watching it and not wanting it to end. The Elephant Man was my favourite movie growing up.

Why The Elephant Man?

Maybe because when I was a kid I moved from Algeria to France, and I always felt like an alien or some sort of an outcast. That’s how he was treated in the movie, and that was the metaphor for how I was feeling at times. It was fascinating to see such a beautiful soul persecuted, and I loved the music and the acting.

Are you a fan of any genre literature or TV?

I love Philip K Dick. Confessions Of A Crap Artist is amazing, and “Adjustment Team”… I like sci-fi. I liked the original Twilight Zone. And I love anime – Ghost In The Shell and Ninja Scroll are my favourite animation. When I stopped dancing and I wanted to act, I just wanted to be in movies. I wanted to translate into any genre something that I profoundly felt when I watched films growing up.

Most of the classic Universal Monsters are male. How cool is it to be reinventing one of them as a woman?

That was one of the reasons I wanted to do the film. There really isn’t any other classic female monster. But Medusa would be a cool one to play next time [laughs].

The Mummy is released 9 June.

“WHEN I WAS A KID I FELT LIKE AN ALIEN”