Antje Traue tells SHIBAJI ROYCHOUDHURY on email how she built muscle and brutal strength to play Faora
How did Faora happenIJ
When I heard about Warner Bros making Superman, I did a monologue for a different film, taped it in my apartment at Berlin and sent it to the casting director. A week later, I flew to lA for audition. I read for Zack and trained for stunts so he could see how I would do action sequences. Two weeks later, I got the call.
Tell us about your character...
Actors are keen to play layered characters but Faora is one-dimensional, Raised amid war, violence is her focus with no place for emotions. At no time while playing Faora did I have to filter or second guess a scene.
Did you researchIJ
Since I am no comic book fan, I didn’t know Faora at all. Once I was back in lA, I locked myself in a room with a bottle of water, turned off my phone for four hours and read the script through and through. At the end of it, I fell in love with Faora.
How did you relate to the evil in FaoraIJ
She is not evil, only driven . She part of an alien military unit. In my growing up days in East Germany, our schools, extra-curricular activities, everything was controlled. While playing this character, I felt nostalgic. I trained for four months to physically fit into Faora . I became disciplined with meals, sleep and fitness. Playing a powerful character, you want to live it too.
You trained for four months for action sequencesIJ
Not just four months, the training continued even while we shot. We had to wake up at 4:30 am, work out for an hour, shoot for 12 hours and then gym for another hour. Bulging muscles were vital. The most difficult part for me was to build myself up for Faora.
The uniform looks uncomfortable...
It looked so powerful, I loved wearing it. When I wore it for the first time, I was overwhelmed. While the designers tried their best to make it comfortable, it was heavy to move around in for the 12-13 hours of shooting.
Your character is a master of Kryptonian martial arts. What style did you derive that from in this filmIJ
The action directors merged various styles. Uniquely, this style of fighting doesn't seem feminine and there are no acrobats. It’s pure and brutal strength. At training, we did a lot of boxing and jujitsu to perfect the Kryptonian style.