Fighter-actress says she can take on Vin Diesel

GINA Carano is a mixed martial arts fighter, too.

Former mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano is confident she can knock down burly Vin Diesel, her coactor in the Hollywood action-thriller “Fast and Furious 6.”

“I’d probably choke his big neck,” said Carano, who was in Manila last month with Diesel, Luke Evans and Michelle Rodriguez to promote the Justin Lin film.

“I wanted to do that in the film,” said the 31-year-old US actress and fitness model. “When I was reading the script, I hoped to go against some of the big guys … but it was refreshing to go against a woman.” Carano, who played a special agent, had two fight scenes with Rodriguez.

“It was my first fight scene with a woman. We don’t get to see a lot of believable female action but Michelle is so great,” Carano said during a press conference in Makati City.

She did all her stunts but admitted she “held back” in her scenes with Rodriguez. “[Although] Michelle told me to hit harder, I said no. We needed her around for the rest of the movie.”

Extreme sport

Carano started her career as a Muay Thai fighter 10 years ago. Her first mixed martial arts (MMA) fight was in a tournament organized by World Extreme Fighting in Nevada, United States.

Known at the time as Gina “Conviction” Carano, she also competed in fights hosted by Strikeforce, Showtime EliteXC, among others.

She’d like to focus on acting now, Carano said. “I can’t fight forever; it’s very important to build another career.”

In September 2009, Carano landed the lead role in Steven Soderbergh’s spy thriller “Haywire.” In February 2012, she was cast in “In the Blood,” an action-thriller by John Stockwell. She is set to appear in what is described as a “female version” of “The Expendables.”

She’d like to do more roles that let her show emotion, Carano said. “I think a period drama would be challenging. I love costumes and dressing up.”

She is especially proud of her work in “In the Blood.” She explained, “It was while doing that movie that I decided to take acting seriously. My crying scene is my favorite moment in the film. I can’t wait for people to see the film and see that there’s more to me than just being physical.”

Do you like fast cars?

I used to watch guys driving muscle cars and I said it was so not me. Then I got to drive one and realized that it was like riding a horse. I started understanding the obsession with nice cars and their power. I did not like [muscle cars] before this movie. I’ve always driven fast but didn’t really care about what I drove.

Do you have to be a lover of cars to appreciate “Fast 6?”

It does help you appreciate the movie more. But basically, you just need to be a fan of action films. I remember watching the first “Fast and Furious” in Las Vegas where I grew up. In “Fast 6,” I should say that we can all relate to at least one of the characters, whether we are mothers, brothers or husbands. I think this is why the series is so popular.

What was it like working with Vin Diesel?

He’s funny. I remember when he came to the set one day and picked me up [that]  he didn’t put me down for five minutes—and I’m not lightweight at all. He’s so full of energy and he makes you laugh. You feel happy to be around him. He’s very childlike; so is Michelle.

What was the most difficult part of the movie for you?

It was being part of such a huge franchise. I was coming from “Haywire,” which had such a small budget but an intimate group of actors. “Fast 6” was made differently. It’s a massive movie. It has given me more range.