‘Bruised’ star relishes MMA film role
It was an easy decision for “Bruised” star Shamier Anderson to throw his hat into the ring.
The Toronto actor said he knew it was a “no-brainer” to join Halle Berry’s directorial debut before he even finished reading the script. He relished making a movie that offers indepth insight into the world of mixed martial arts.
“When you really zoom into it, these … are individuals with so much heart and passion and wanting to be great,” Anderson told the New York Daily News.
The film, which premiered Wednesday on Netflix, stars Berry as a former MMA athlete who wants to make a comeback. Anderson’s character, Immaculate, owns a female fighting organization and offers Berry’s character the chance to return.
“Bruised” is the latest highprofile project for Anderson, who starred this year in Netflix’s space-set thriller “Stowaway” and has a main role on the new Apple TV Plus sciencefiction series “Invasion.”
He also recently finished filming “John Wick: Chapter 4.” The director of that movie, Chad Stahelski, was an executive producer on “Bruised” who previously worked with Berry on the third “John Wick” film.
“That film was a catalyst to having me in ‘John Wick,’ ” Anderson said.
Anderson praised Berry as both a co-star and as a director, describing her as “extremely collaborative” and “a visionary.”
“She really, really pushed for the best,” Anderson said, “which I loved about her.”