In the gritty, explosive action-thriller She Rides Shotgun, Taron Egerton stars as newly released ex-con Nate. Marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), at all costs.
Shy, precocious, and wary of her father, Polly is swept up in Nate’s dangerous plight as they flee to evade the corrupt sheriff and brutal leader of a gang who will stop at nothing to protect his criminal interests. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive — and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means.
Last week, we got to sit down with Taron and Ana for a brief conversation about their work in the movie. We started by asking about a moment in the film that sees Nate and Polly bond when he's forced to cut his daughter's hair (a rare moment of levity in an otherwise very intense thriller).
From there, Taron talks us through his approach to the type of action She Rides Shotgun asked of him, before they both discuss what it was like for Ana to be part of such violent moments with her character's father unleashing all manner of vengeance on those attempting to track them down.
She Rides Shotgun is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with 84%, and is well worth checking out if it's playing in your local theater.
You can check out the full interview with Taron and Ana in the player below.
This film takes your characters to some really dark places, but they become partners in crime. The haircut scene is such a great moment of levity in the film, so could you both talk about how much fun it was to shoot that?
Ana: Well, I really love that scene because it felt really natural, and we did improvise a lot. I actually cut my hair in real life, so all that bleach blonde cut was my real hair. He's cutting my wig, so it felt like he was cutting my hair, and it was really fun. I just love all the improvisation that we did, and how natural and fun it felt.
Taron: It was lovely. I think you're exactly right, the movie is pretty intense and the characters are up against it for the whole 1 hour, 58 minutes or whatever the running time is. We have a few moments where they're sheltered and able to take a breath, and bond, talk, and be tender with one another. The haircutting scene is one of those moments.
Ana: It's definitely one of those.
Taron: We had the loveliest time. Our great friend and director Nick Rowland created this wonderful atmosphere.
Ana: He was a great director.
Taron: He was amazing, wasn't he? We just had the chance to play and, obviously, my character Nate is not much of a hair stylist, so I had to do no prep whatsoever. I just came in and hacked away at the wig.
Ana: That's what made it so fun.
Taron: We had a really good time.
Taron, you've done some great action projects, but this one is really brutal, very raw, and very real. How did that change your approach, particularly with Ana's character watching on?
Taron: Well, I think it's maybe a little more grounded than some of the other action things I've been involved with, and the stakes are more real. I think that the thing I was drawn to about Nate is that at no point is there any relish. Sometimes, in certain more stylised action pieces, there can be more of a nod and a wink, maybe. And an element of enjoyment in the performance. That's not what my instinct was for this character, because he would rather be anywhere else in terms of this awful situation they're both in.
Ana, Taron plays your dad, and Nate is very explosive and violent. What was the biggest challenge to see your co-star like that and to play his daughter in those moments?
Ana: Those scenes, I feel weren't that challenging because it was all fake, obviously, and he wasn't really fighting.
Taron: But I made it seem real, right?
Ana: [Laughs] Yeah, he did make it seem real! It is really challenging to play a role like that. He did really amazing...
Taron: Thank you. I think Ana has got this incredible ability to watch and listen. And to lose her sense of self. The biggest challenge as an actor is to take the focus off yourself and be available to what's happening around you. That's why they say good acting is reacting, and I think that's something, to be honest, that I didn't really learn until I went to drama school. Before that, I was probably much more of a showman and a performer. Ana just instrinsically understands that. Her father is an actor as well, and I don't doubt that he's helped teach her that, but I also think it's a very innate talent she has, so those scenes where Nate is doing something very violent or wrong that she is privy to and watching, she's very able to be present with that so between her and Nick, they'll figure out what the attitude is. Her attitude shifts throughout the movie. Sometimes, she's horrified, sometimes she starts to maybe enjoy it a little bit as well and enjoy her dad's power. That's part of the darkness of the film.
Ana: I just have to try and feel like that's my dad doing this crazy stuff. Like he said, sometimes, I kind of enjoy watching it because I like seeing that he is defeating everyone [Laughs], so I just kind of have to pretend he was really fighting people.
She Rides Shotgun is now playing in theaters.