:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/derek_160-e1b72b3389c74b8ca03743731e346949.jpg "Jordana Brewster talks 'special' Fast Five, learning how to be a 'badass' from Mia")
Jordana Brewster talks 'special' Fast Five, learning how to be a 'badass' from Mia
Jordana Brewster talks 'special' Fast Five, learning how to be a 'badass' from Mia
By Derek Lawrence
Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.
EW's editorial guidelines
May 28, 2021 6:00 a.m. ET
Jordana Brewster does her homework. The night before appearing on *EW's BINGE: The Fast Saga*, the actress sat-down with her boyfriend and 7-year-old son to watch 2011's epic *Fast Five*. "I texted Justin Lin, our director, like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm rewatching this and it's so good,'" she shares with hosts Derek Lawrence and Chanelle Berlin Johnson. "And he was like, 'I know, that was a really fun one.' I think it has a special place in our hearts."
Still, both Brewster and her son did have their own separate complaints about the film widely-considered the best *Fast* (at least until *F9* comes out, according to Lin). "I will say, the one problem with it is that Michelle [Rodriguez] is not in it," Brewster says of her longtime costar, whose character Letty appeared only via photo when the mid-credit scene revealed her to be alive after a presumed death in *Fast & Furious*. "I heard rumors about it, but wasn't sure. I was really, really happy."
Surely much happier than the younger Brewster watching the climactic — and iconic — *Fast* *Five* heist scene, in which Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker) use their cars to drag a safe through the streets of Rio de Janeiro as Brewster's Mia is back at the hideout talking them through traffic and the police scanners. "My son was like, 'Mom, your role sucks at this part,'" Brewster says with a laugh.
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Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, and Vin Diesel in 'Fast Five.'. Jaimie Trueblood/Universal
The fifth *Fast* film — and third for Brewster — served as a homecoming for the actress who grew up in Brazil before moving to the U.S. as a child. Despite the Rio setting, most of *Fast Five* was filmed in either Puerto Rico or Atlanta, but Brewster made sure that the subsequent promotional trip down south wasn't the only bit of home that she got, convincing Lin to let her speak some Portuguese with no added explanation of how Mia knew the language. And yet, she couldn't talk her way out of the rooftop favela chase that finds the family running from the newly-introduced Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).
"I didn't realize we'd be jumping off of rooftops," she admits. "Justin was smart to do this because I am a bit of a nervous Nellie, and so if he said like, 'Okay, you and Paul are going to jump off a roof,' I would have been like, 'No, no, no. Please use [my] double.' I got to set that day, we were shooting in Puerto Rico, and I had this harness and I was like, 'What is this for?' And they're like, 'Oh, well, you're jumping off a roof and you have to wear the harness with a rope attached.' But then Paul was so sweet. Paul was like, 'I got you. Don't be nervous — it's going to be awesome.' When I rewatched it, you can see my face is like…I was so nervous. They should have CGI'd a cooler-looking face, but whatever. I split my hand open on those roofs. Because we're jumping from roof to roof and one was really gnarly, and I split my hand open, needed stitches, and Justin reminded me that he kept the bandage on my hand — he didn't CGI that out. He's like, 'That's your badge of honor.'"
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Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster in 'Fast Five.'. Jaimie Trueblood/Universal
Brewster recalls getting the script for *Fast Five* and being pleasantly surprised by how much Mia was in it. "I didn't take that lightly," she says. "I worked my ass off. I remember working with my coach and breaking down the scenes. I just wanted to be as prepared as possible." In addition to being "excited to cement the relationship between Mia and Brian" with the pregnancy story line, Brewster appreciated Mia becoming the alpha in a showdowns of alphas.
"I think a lot of people have this joke, like take a shot every time I screamed, 'Dom,'" Brewster says of Mia trying to stop Dom from killing Hobbs at the end of a brutal fight. "I rewatched that scene and I was like, 'That's really powerful.' Because it's like he's in a trance, back to what happened to him and led him to go to jail and what trauma he endured as a kid, and then I snap him out of it because I'm the voice of reason that he will listen to. I remember in the moment shooting that scene being so intimidated. It's all these dudes, it's all this testosterone, Vin is a huge action star, the Rock is a huge action star, and I'm like, 'And I have to interrupt this?' But then I have to pull myself aside and go, 'No, Mia has got that, she's going to be the badass here.'"
Continues Brewster, "I'm reminded when I rewatch the films, I think in real-life I'm so sometimes shy or a little bit soft-spoken, and when I watch I'm like, 'Mia is such a badass.' And even on the last *Fast* that we just shot, I remember Michelle being like, 'Girl, speak up. Come on, what do you think of this?' Justin was doing the same thing. He was like, 'I want your opinion on this.' And to see Mia and be like, 'Oh, she's such a good example for women out there,' and she's even a good example for me to just own it. I love that about her."
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Jordana Brewster in 'Fast Five.'. Jaimie Trueblood/Universal
Speaking of the last *Fast* they shot, a.k.a. *F9*, Brewster's son shouldn't worry about his mom having a role that sucks at any part. After being featured less in *Fast & Furious 6* and *Furious 7* and sitting out *The Fate of the Furious*, she's back — and fully in the action. In recent years, Brewster started taking Taekwondo lessons and subsequently bombarded Lin with training videos from her guest-starring role on CBS's *Magnum P.I.,* which the filmmaker produces.
"Justin was like, 'I get it Jordana, you'll have an action scene,'" shares Brewster. "But then once we got to England and we were shooting, the funny thing is, I'm very methodical, so I'd have to practice every single day. And I was like, 'Okay, so it's this move, and then this move, and then this move.' 'Would you like to rehearse tomorrow?' 'Yes, I would.' Whereas Michelle shows up a day before, she looks at the move, she's like, 'Yeah, I got it.' I'm just full of shame, and I'm like, 'Okay, that's why she's Michelle.' She's incredible."
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Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster in 'F9.'. Giles Keyte/Universal
Brewster is likely be involved with the final two *Fast* installments that will follow *F9* and wrap up the main series, but, even after playing the character for 20 years, she's intrigued by the possibility of being with Mia for another 20.
"I think actresses get better with age," says the 41-year-old. "So I'd love to play Mia in her 50s or 60s, with what Brian's kids would be like in their teens or 20s. What are they doing? Am I hiding out somewhere? What's going on there? Do they get in some s--- that then Vin and I need to rescue them from? I think that would be really fun. So down the line, I think it can keep going and going, because generations to generations and the kids can step up."
*Below, see a behind-the-scenes photo that Brewster mentioned in interview and passed along.*
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Courtesy of Jordana Brewster
**To listen, subscribe to *EW's BINGE: The Fast Saga* feed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also subscribe to EW's YouTube page to catch all the video interviews, and stay tuned to EW.com for even more *Fast *coverage, including next week's episode with Sung Kang talking *Fast & Furious 6***.
***FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT***
Jordana Brewster:
I feel like the Fast & Furious franchise has always been really ahead of its time in terms of diversity, in terms of representing women as really strong. I remember when Michelle read her role, she was like, "No. No. I'm not playing that." Then she changed it completely, and Universal and Vin and the franchise has always done a great job of that, so I'm really proud to be a part of that.
Derek Lawrence:
As any podcast or any real podcast, it doesn't matter if you're recording in person or over video chat. Podcasting is podcasting. Welcome back to EW's BINGE: The Fast Saga, full transcripts of which are available on ew.com. I'm Derek Lawrence, aka the guy who went as Dominic Toretto for two straight Halloweens. As that icon said, the most important thing in life will always be the people in this Zoom right here, right now. For me, as always, that's Dom to my Brian, the Letty to my Mia, the Roman to my Tej, the Gisele to my Han, Chanelle Berlin Johnson.
Derek Lawrence:
Chanelle, are you ready to about Fast Five, which very well might be the greatest film of all time, no hyperbole?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Yes. Yes, born ready to talk about Fast Five. I feel like it's come up a few times for us even up in the four previous episodes that we've done for this, and now it's time to really dig in, and I'm so excited.
Derek Lawrence:
Yes. Chanelle, I think you're dead on. We've talked about this movie at least once in every episode. I mean, I started off our Justin Lin interview about Fast Four, reminding him of the time I walked up to him and told him how much I love Fast Five. We cannot talk Fast Five. I mean, I literally not to further self promote, but over on ew.com for the 10th anniversary about a month and a half ago, me and our colleague, Darren Franich did a whole back and forth story about the greatness of Fast Five. If you can't get enough of that movie like us, go check that out after you're done here with the podcast.
Speaking of the podcast, a refresher for any new listeners, in case you were just really excited to hear us talk about the triumphant return of Vince ahead of F9's June 25th release, we're bingeing all of the Fast movies with the family themselves. We've already chatted, but the first four installments, so you can go back and check out those interviews with Vin Diesel, Ludacris, Lucas Black and the aforementioned Justin Lin. But today, it's Mia Toretto herself, Jordana Brewster is here to go deep on Fast Five, which I'm not exaggerating might be the movie I've seen more than any other. Not just Fast movies, but movies period.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Nice. All the time.
Derek Lawrence:
That and Hitch. That's why the Hitch are... It probably changes every time I watch one, that one jumps ahead of the other. Who can keep track on any given day of the week? Chanelle, before we dive into our chat with Jordana, and then you and I come back for further discussion on Fast Five, what do people need to remember about what will always be the best Avengers movie?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I mean, you said it right there. We dug into it a little bit with Justin Lin. Last week too, Fast Five is where we finally get to see all those characters from across the four previous movies come together. Justin told us that he was looking for a way to do that. It didn't quite work out with four. Five, we get to see it, and it's beyond epic. Of course, Four already has Han a little bit, but Five, we also get to see Dom Brian and Mia bring in Roman and Tej. Gisele comes back. We got Rico Santos and Tego Leo. They're all trying to pull off this huge $100 million job in Rio.
Like you mentioned, we get the return of Vince. Vince is back after a long time away. We find out that Mia is pregnant, and, of course, the other big, big selling point of this movie was being introduced to The Rock's Luke Hobbs. Luke and Dom, of course, go head to head. Ludacris called it one of the best pound for pound fights on film. He's absolutely right. We get to meet also the techies, Elena, and she starts out as a cop, but of course by the end is on the run with the crew. Then of course, that is until we get to the end credit scene and then as an audience find out way before Dom does, we see Monica comes to Luke and says, "Do you believe in ghosts?" Then we know there's even more places to go after that, just the biggest, biggest moment after a huge movie.
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, you did such a great job there just summing up a movie that has so much going on. We get into a lot of it with our chat with Jordana who was great. We'll hop to that now, but again, stay tuned. The love fest to Fast Five will continue after that with me and Chanelle, hand out some hardware to the movie, and what movie deserves hardware more than Fast Five. But until then, here's our chat with Jordana.
A huge manhunt is underway for three fugitives tonight. Multiple federal and local agencies have joined forces in the search for Dominic Toretto and his accomplices, Brian O'Connor and Mia Toretto. Despite every eye in the country looking for them, where Toretto and O'Connor are now is anyone's guess.
Derek Lawrence:
We didn't just take out a bank, but we did get Jordana Brewster aka Mia Toretto to talk Fast Five. Jordana, welcome to our binge of fast and furious.
Jordana Brewster:
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, thanks for being here. Also, congrats for being our guest on the episode in which we break down the greatest movie of all time. I'll say it like... I mean, not only just the best Fast and Furious movie, which is such a compliment already, but, I don't know, this is my personal favorite movie of all time. I'm really excited that you're here to dive into it.
Jordana Brewster:
I agree. I will say the one problem with it is that Michelle's not in it. I feel like that's the one fog, right?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
It's the only thing.
Derek Lawrence:
That's a great point. I mean, luckily, I remember in the theater... I mean, we'll get to it eventually, but this was really before you knew to stay for after credit scenes. The superhero movies weren't really fully doing it yet, but I remember being in the theater, and that reveal. First, Eva Mendes showing up, I was like, "Oh my god, I'm already excited." Then the Michelle reveal, you're like, "Okay, at least we're getting her back, even if she wasn't in this one." I mean, did you always know that? I mean, not to jump too ahead, but did you always know that she was going to come back, or was that surprising to you?
Jordana Brewster:
No, with those end shot cameos, those are always a surprise. I feel like those always happen after the fact.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
The first time that you saw it, was it in the theater for the premiere or something?
Jordana Brewster:
I feel like I heard rumors about it, but wasn't really sure. I knew it was in the making, and I was like, "Oh my god, that would be so awesome," but I didn't know whether it was going to happen, and then I was really, really happy.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That's awesome.
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, I already have expressed my Fast Five fandom, but on every episode, I feel like I have to tell a specific story to really get a glimpse into how much I love these movies. For Fast Five, and this might really speak bad of my parents, but we-
Jordana Brewster:
We just tell you guys saw the movie when I did my homework with my seven-year-old son. I don't really think that your parents felt as badly as I did.
Derek Lawrence:
I think maybe we're just all great parents all around there, because my parents let me pick my brother up from middle school, and out early to see it on opening day in IMAX. I don't know why a seventh grader was allowed to check out of school early, and I don't know what the excuse we gave, but we were there like 1:00 pm Friday, while the rest of his classmates were still at school. Maybe that is great parenting. I don't know.
Jordana Brewster:
I love that. You know what, it's great parenting because you remember that, right, and that's like... I think that's pretty epic of your parents. I love it.
Derek Lawrence:
They'll be happy to hear that. I'm sure maybe they felt a little nervous about it at the time, but it all came around and paid off.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That's perfect, a perfect write the note. It's a special appointment today. We have to go make sure we do this.
Jordana Brewster:
He's going to see the orthodontist/go to movies.
Derek Lawrence:
How we wanted to start all these episodes is a great man once said that he lived his life a quarter mile at a time, and nothing else mattered for those 10 seconds or less. In 10 seconds or less, how would you summarize Fast Five?
Jordana Brewster:
Oh my gosh, Fast Five is gritty. Fast Five is about Brazil. Fast Five has really good music. Fest Five is the plot is super easy to follow, which makes it really fun, like you're in the ride the entire time. Fast Five has the best action, and Fast Five has Gal Gadot as well. The intro of Gal Gadot, I think, was also such a good intro.
Derek Lawrence:
Fast knew before anyone. I felt like I knew before anyone. Everyone fell in love with her, that didn't watch Fast and Furious, with Wonder Woman, but I was like, "Oh no, she's our Gisele before she was your Wonder Woman."
Jordana Brewster:
I think it's all about the voice too, because you see this beautiful creature, and she's this tall creature, and you're like, "Oh my god, she's so stunning," but then her voice has so much power, and she's so commanding that she just... I love the scenes between her and Tyrese and Luda, because they keep poking at him. She's just like, "You're trying," whatever.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
She rolls with it so easily. I remember when she was casts as Wonder Woman, especially because after we see six and what happens to her character, it was like, "Oh, she's back, thankfully." In a way, I definitely felt like someone who I was protective of after seeing Fast Five and Fast Six, and then where she goes from there is amazing. To jump back, when you... I know you said that you just watched the movie, but when you think of Fast Five, what's the first thing that comes to mind for you?
Jordana Brewster:
Shooting in Puerto Rico and shooting in Brazil. When we went back to Brazil, it was because I grew up in Brazil, and Rio is where I decided to be an actress. I always had these huge dreams of going to premieres, and the fact that I got to attend the premiere with my grandma next to me, and my cousins and my sister, it was just amazing. I was watching the movie with my boyfriend and with my son, and they were like, "Okay, is that Brazil, or is that Puerto Rico doubling for Brazil?" I knew all the ins and outs, and I was like, "No. No. No. We're actually shooting at a favela in Rio, and then that actually is in Puerto Rico, and it's doubling. Here's what we did for this."
I loved that a lot of the action in Fast Five is actually practical. It's not a lot of special effects. It's actually just in mounting the stunts so that it lines up perfectly. It all seems somewhat difficult to pull off, but we're actually pulling it off, which I think is really, really fun. Some of it I... You watch these movies, and you're at the premiere, and you're so nervous, and you're self conscious. But when I saw it now, 10 years after the fact, which is crazy to me, I really appreciated the action.
It goes on for... You're just like, "There's no way this is going to keep going. There's no way that..." The scene where Paul's almost surfing on the car, and then they crashed in the water, and I'm like, "Okay, this is where credits are going to go," and like, "Oh, no. No. No. It's not credits. I'm actually..." It was almost like watching it for the first time. It was such a treat.
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, my Fast fandom aside, I always tell people like, "I think this is the best action movie of all time." It's like what you said, it's not this crazy. Obviously, as the series goes, you guys get bigger and bigger with your stunts and with your action. That stuff is still incredible, but I mean, something like the safe scene or just like you said, that sequence with the train and with Paul and Vin driving off the cliff, that stuff is like... I watched that, and I'm like, "I don't even know how they did that." You know what I mean? But you can also see how it is possible, it's not like this out-of-world action, which again is I think what's so great about this.
Jordana Brewster:
I think Justin loves that, right, Justin Lin, our director and who I also texted. I was like, "Oh my gosh, I'm rewatching this, and it's so good." He was like, "I know. That was a really fun one." I think it has a special place in our hearts. I think Justin's always... Have you seen Better Luck Tomorrow, his first film?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
Jordana Brewster:
It's so good. That's where I fell in love with Justin's work. Then I worked with him on Annapolis, but I feel like he's always trying to get back to that hand to hand, gritty handheld camera. The scene in the next Fast has one of those action sequences, where Michelle and I are just getting dirty. It's not a lot of special effects, and that's going to be really, really cool.
Derek Lawrence:
I remember catching a glimpse of that in the trailer. I feel like for Fast Nine, I was like, "Oh." I was excited. I was excited because I need to see you getting it on the action, which is always cool with... I'm sure for you, it's great too.
Jordana Brewster:
Hopefully. It is. I also campaigned for that hardcore. I had a guest spot on Magnum, and Justin's producer for Magnum. This is so embarrassing, because it's me totally whoring myself out or whatever. Hopefully, we can say that on the podcast. I would send him stills of me or video of me on set being like, "This is what I can do, Justin. Check this-
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Jordana Brewster:
I did that, and then I started taking Taekwondo lessons in L.A. I was like, "This is a little bit more of what I can do best." He's like, "I get it, Jordana. You'll have an action scene." But then once we got to England, and we were shooting, and I was... The funny thing is I would have to... I'm very methodical, so I'd have to practice every single day. I was like, "Okay, so it's this move and then this move and then this move. Okay, would you like to rehearse tomorrow? Yes, I would," whereas Michelle shows up a day before. She looks at the movie. She's like, "I got it." [crosstalk 00:14:00]. I'm just like, "Okay, that's why she's Michelle. She's incredible."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
She's had action scenes to do forever, so...
Jordana Brewster:
Totally. She's like, "I understand what this is. I got it."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I guess, getting into Fast Five, you do get a little bit of the action in that too, and then when you went into that movie, did you know that? When you first saw the script, first heard about the concept, did you already know that you'd be able to do a little bit of running around?
Jordana Brewster:
I knew that there was a little more running around. I didn't know the extent of it. I didn't realize the favela chase scene. I didn't realize how much fun that would be. I didn't realize that we'd be jumping off of rooftops. I mean, I think Justin, he was smart to do this, because I am a little bit of a nervous Nellie, and so if he said like, "Okay, you and Paul are going to jump off a roof," I would have been like, "No. No. No. Please use my stunt double. It's all good." I got to set that day. We were shooting in Puerto Rico, and I had this harness, and I was like, "What is this for?"
They're like, "Oh, well, you're jumping off a roof, and you have to wear the harness with the rope attached." I was like, "No one discussed it with me. What are you talking about?" But then Paul this sweet Paul. He was like, "I gotcha. Don't be nervous. It's going to be awesome." But if you do look at... When I rewatched it, you can see my face is like this, [inaudible 00:15:25] because he kept saying, "You guys have to be in sync, so it's choreography. It's like one, two, three, jump. One, two, three, jump." We had to do that a couple of times, but then my face is still like... It's very funny. They should have CGIed a cooler looking face, but whatever.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I feel like that fits for the character.
Jordana Brewster:
The other... Oh yeah, you're right. It does fit. I was also... Mia was pregnant, and then the other funny thing is... I split my hand open on those roofs, because we were jumping from roof to roof, and one was really gnarly. I split my hand open, needed stitches. Justin reminded me that he kept the bandage on my hand. He didn't CGI that out. He's like, "That's your badge of honor."
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, maybe it's just because I'm so invested in Mia and Brian, but it also feels like a real sweet moment right before you guys jumped. You know what I mean? You can just feel that connection between those two characters, which obviously was built up over so many movies. Did you know going in, as you got the script, as you started pre production, did you realize like, "Oh, this one's bigger?" Obviously, Fast Four was such a huge hit and brought all of you guys back together, but I feel like Fast Five was a transition film, and it really took things up a level and moved things in a different direction past what you guys have done in the first few.
Jordana Brewster:
I did realize it because of the scope, because we were traveling to Brazil, because of the addition of Dwayne, I think that also made it bigger. I just remember working really hard. As soon as I got the script, I was like, "Oh my gosh, Mia's in this one a ton." I'm like, "This is going to be so much fun," and I didn't take that lightly. I worked my ass off. I remember working with my coach, and breaking down the scenes. I just wanted to be as prepared as possible. I was just so excited, so excited.
I loved that with a giant Hummer scene where I'm driving the truck... It's not a Hummer. It's a truck. I'm driving the truck, and we're escaping. I just wanted all of that stuff to be completely believable. I didn't want to let Justin down. It was just... That was my favorite experience for sure of all the Fasts.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Does it feel even... You could tell it was special then, but does it feel even bigger looking back on it now, 10 years later? Technically, you guys did it before the Avengers this huge team up.
Jordana Brewster:
We did. I mean, I just couldn't believe that 10 years have passed. When I watched it, I was like, "Wait, what year did we make that?" My boyfriend was like, "10 years ago." I was like, "What? You're saying?" It doesn't seem like it was that long ago. That's crazy to me. I also love the fact that we brought back Matt Scholz. It was so much fun to work with him. I think it also set the stage for all of us what Justin keeps going back to like the warehouse, the team members coming back.
I love how he sets that up, and it's slightly tongue in cheek, but not really, and that also set it up for a bunch of misfits which really formed the family.
Derek Lawrence:
This was your first time. We mentioned Gal at the top, but this was really your first time working with people who had been in some of the movies previously, whether it's Gal, Tyrese, Luda, Sung. What was it like... Obviously, you had so much experience with Paul and with Vin, but what was it like getting to work with the rest of the crew here?
Jordana Brewster:
Well, funnily enough, I did work with Tyrese on Annapolis-
Derek Lawrence:
Oh, Annapolis, yes.
Jordana Brewster:
... with Justin. That was like, "Hey, buddy, how you doing?" We worked in Philadelphia for a long time on that film. I was starstruck by Luda. I mean, he's massive, right, and he's the nicest dude, the most humble, most hardworking guy. Then Gal, I was just like, "Who is this stunning creature?" Sung, it was the first time I worked with Sung, and now we're super close. He's really close with my son. Almost on the last Fast, he was the godfather to my son. My son kept going into his trailer and talking to him.
He's like, "Sung, let's talk about this now," and philosophizing on set. It was really cute. I remember the addition of The Rock being a super big deal and being star-strucked by him, and knowing that, "Wow, this franchise just keeps getting bigger and bigger. How cool."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Did you guys have time to get to know each other at all before filming started, or was it just jump right in, you figure out that chemistry during the scene?
Jordana Brewster:
We're usually jumping right in, and the chemistry is pair. With most of us, there's this familiarity that already exists, and then with each new element that comes in, we bring them into the fold. There's just this familial environment, and then with each new element that comes in, it just keeps just getting bigger and bigger.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That's beautiful.
Derek Lawrence:
You mentioned being starstruck by Dwayne. Obviously, it feels like he brought such an energy to this movie, energy and a lot of sweat. I'm always rewatching Fast Five. I'm like, "Man, Hobbs is just not used to this Brazil weather. He is just fully sweating it up." Could you feel that energy, even though, obviously, you had a few scenes with him in there, especially towards the end? Can you feel this energy that he brought?
Jordana Brewster:
Oh my gosh, and Elsa too, we haven't talked about Elsa, and probably, Chris Hemsworth visited, and that was before he's Thor.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Jordana Brewster:
Maybe it was right as he was getting casts, so it was just like, "Oh my gosh."
Derek Lawrence:
That sounds great.
Jordana Brewster:
This is the most beautiful couple on Earth. The energy was just... It was like everyone was there to do their best and to bring their A game. I love working in that environment, because we all know that we're working on something really special, and we don't take it for granted for a minute.
Derek Lawrence:
That's always one of my favorite fun facts to tell people when they're... I was like, "Chris Hemsworth is married to a Fast and Furious star. I just want..." I always make sure people know that. I'm like, "That's a power couple." You put respect on both of their names.
Jordana Brewster:
Totally. She's, first of all, the most stunning person on this planet, but also so gracious and lovely. It's really nice when you get to be on location with a group, because then you're forced to hang out with each other. You all don't get to just go home. I remember having these really fun dinners with everyone. We would also travel to Vegas, which was an hour away, and then we would all hang out. It was really fun. It was a really fun time.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
We know or you can, I guess, can tell us if this is true. I feel like we heard that you didn't have your license before the first movie. Then by this one, Mia is a little bit more involved. Did you get to do more in that way, and feel more comfortable? You were doing other stunts. But when it came to the driving, do you feel like... You have that big sequence at the beginning of the movie. Did you get to do more of that practically?
Jordana Brewster:
With the beginning... That's also a funny tidbit. With the beginning, I feel like those bangs were fake. I'm like, "Now, I have bangs," and I'm like, "Do we want bangs for the next one? I don't think we do." I had them in for... I don't think I want to bring them back for now. I think those were clip-ins. I think we were on the top of a parking lot at Universal. I was just faking it. It's always so hard, because when you see it, it makes so much sense when you see the movie.
But when Justin's just like, "Okay, make a right. No. No. No. When I say right, you go left." I'm like, "I don't know what I'm doing. Just make it look cool, please." He's like, "Okay, now, you're looking at the..." I'm like, "Oh, okay, I pulled that off." That was an afterthought shot at Universal in a parking garage, but I didn't get to do much practical driving, but I will say when watching the movie with my boyfriend and kid, he was like, "That is how your mommy drives," because I am a pretty impatient driver.
Jordana Brewster:
I do like speed. Yes, I didn't get my license until I was 18, until the first movie, but once I got it, I am a speed freak, I will say.
Derek Lawrence:
My favorite part of that opening sequence is when it cuts to the news, and it's like, "Oh," but this crazy crash but no one died, which was such a miracle, but I loved it.
Jordana Brewster:
Derek Lawrence:
We had to make sure that our heroes were still heroes. They weren't just killing random people.
Jordana Brewster:
I know, and the bus just spins and spins and spins. I know, but also, that was so good, right, because you don't know that CGI. I feel like they spun that bus gajillion times. I mean, now, we have the technology where Justin's filming a scene, and he also has the footage of what stunts are doing, and he also has the footage of what CGI looks like. It's a different game. It's really cool. Back in the day, it's like if someone wasn't there, or if I had to pretend you're acting with a tennis ball, and those days are over.
Derek Lawrence:
I think what's cool is that here, we talked about how much more involved in the action you are, but also, this is at the same time, as you mentioned earlier, Mia is pregnant, and we find that out in this movie. What was that... Do you remember those conversations with whether it's Justin or Chris Morgan or Vin? When you find out that this is directions going for Mia, what were those conversations like?
Jordana Brewster:
I remember I kept losing weight on set, and they were like, "Jordana, you're pregnant." I'm like, "I know, but we're shooting in the tropics, and all the action scenes," and so I had to be very conscious about that, but I was excited to add that, to cement the relationship between me and Brian. Also, it's such a weak turning point when Dom wants to split everyone up again. I'm like, "No, we're staying together because there's something massive at stake here." It was really sweet.
Derek Lawrence:
That's one of my little favorite moments, that sequence that you just talked about when they get out of the sewer, and they're like, "Let's split up." Then you're like, "No, we're not." Then when she says that she's pregnant, the reaction on Paul's face and then on Vince's face, it's such a sweet scene.
Jordana Brewster:
We did that one over and over and over again, because Justin will keep going until he gets what he wants. I was like, "I don't know. What are you looking for, Justin?" I also remember Paul kept saying, "He said you're kidding me right in the actual scene, but he kept saying you're shitting me." "Well, you can't say you're shitting. You can't say that," but it was just spontaneous because it was this outburst of joy. Like, "Yes." That was a really, really fun scene to shoot, and we were also fighting the rain that day.
Jordana Brewster:
I remember having umbrellas there. It's a sweet scene.
We're going to be looking for the three of us together now. We need to split up. You and me will head south. I'll lead them away.
Dom's right. We got lucky. We just got... What happens next time? We have no choice but to split up.
I'm pregnant. I already lost my family once. I'm not going through that again.
Are you kidding me?
I'm not going anywhere, okay?
Dom, promise me we stick together.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I think what also makes it so good is because it really mirrors what the audience is feeling. I don't want to see them split up. I do want to see them make it through this together, so it's both the reveal but also just narratively really satisfying for us to like, "Yes, this is a team up," and people just keep coming together from there, which is a lot of fun.
Jordana Brewster:
I mean, you're always stronger together. If you notice, there's this trend where every time we split up, we trouble, trouble. It goes down, right? It doesn't go very well.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
We've got to take a break, but we'll be right back.
Derek Lawrence:
Now, let's get back to the interview.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
How much of it did you spend actually in the favela in Brazil, and was it a significant amount of time there, or was most of it in Puerto Rico?
Jordana Brewster:
We spent about I think it was like two to three weeks in Brazil, and then a lot of it was in Puerto Rico. We spent a couple of months in Puerto Rico. A lot of it was in Atlanta. Some of it was in LA. But yes, a good portion was in Puerto Rico.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Had you gotten to visit at all? I know you spent, like you said, part of your childhood there. Had you gone to visit much before going back for this movie, or was it a new experience all around?
Jordana Brewster:
It was a new experience. It was a new experience for sure. Then we got to go back to promote it, which was really fun.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Did people rely on you to... What are your favorite spots, or what are the things we have to do here?
Jordana Brewster:
Yes, and also, sometimes, some of the actors, we had some Brazilian actors and then some Spanish-speaking actors that were pretending to speak Portuguese, so I knew the difference. Then I was also like, "Justin, I gotta speak Portuguese." "Cool, but how are we going to explain that? Why does Mia speak Portuguese?" I was like, "I don't know." I don't know if he noticed my accent. Mia's accent is perfect, and there's no explanation or whatever.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That is something that I was wondering. I was like, "They don't ever tell us." It's just accepted that at some point...
Derek Lawrence:
That's a mystery. I like it. I like it, just a little Easter egg that we never did answer.
Jordana Brewster:
It'll be explained down the line. It'll be explained.
Derek Lawrence:
Totally. You talked about a big part of your excitement for the pregnancy storyline was cementing that Mia and Brian relationship, which obviously, as I said earlier, I just... Even watching you two on the train together, the two characters talking about running away together to these countries with no extradition, it's so sweet. You're just like... As an audience member, you're so invested in this relationship by that point. I mean, what was it like with... Obviously, this is your third movie with Paul at this point playing this out. What was it like evolving this relationship and growing together on screen and off, and evolving this partnership?
Jordana Brewster:
It was so easy. I mean, in the same way that it's very easy acting with Vin, because we have a very big brother, little sister relationship, I mean, there was stuff that went down this year with COVID, and decisions I made that I went to Vin, and he was like, "No, you cannot do that, little sis." He is just my confidence that I adore. What happens on screen bleeds into real life. In the same way, I had this relationship with Paul, where the chemistry was so alive. It was just so much fun to play together, and we had... All of that is just very... I think it can't be replicated, because I just loved him so much, and he loved me.
It was just... When we talk about going to Goa, and when we're... Just like you said, you see that spark, and it's just... I don't know. It sounds so cliche, but it was just very easy between the two of us. Strangely enough, not to keep bringing up my kid, but we started watching this. I didn't realize there was a Disney movie with Paul, where he plays this surfer. Have you guys heard of this movie? It's called The Kooples or the... I don't know, but he was so good in it.
It was from 1986 or something. He was 15 or 16. He's so good. It was so nice seeing him as this kid in this really awesome movie. It just really flowed with him. It was very easy with him.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Have you guys talked at all... I read that four or five and six were loosely conceived as a trilogy so that there would be something of an arc. Did you guys get to talk about, from even from four into five and from five to six, where Mia and Brian were going in that way?
Jordana Brewster:
With six, oh my gosh, six was really difficult because with six... Was it six? Yeah. I was stuck on a television show. I signed a contract, and then I was stuck. Then I wasn't able to participate in the film as much as I would have liked to, which was really heartbreaking for me. It shifted from what it was supposed to be to a much lesser presence, which really killed me because I really missed my family. I feel like I missed out. But a lot of the time, the movies are evolving as we... not as we go, not as we shoot, but I think it's easier for the creators to step back and think, "Okay, this is how I see the big picture," or I think Vin can do that as a producer.
But for the actors when you're in it, I try to focus on the moment and this project. It's hard to think like, "Okay, what's going to happen in six? How's it going to evolve?" I will say that the beauty of being a part of this franchise is now, I get to look back and go, "Oh my gosh." Now, I can see the Canon and then go, "Oh, this is where we started, and this is..." That's something I'm definitely going to do before the next one is I'm going to watch the whole thing to really place everything in context. It's definitely a gift.
Derek Lawrence:
I love to hear that little nugget about sadly your limited availability for Fast Six, because I feel like that explains a lot about-
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
... what happens both with you and with Paul in Fast Six. They ended up sending Paul on his own little journey to a different country.
Jordana Brewster:
You don't understand. Poor Justin. It was this very dramatic experience for me. I was texting Justin, I was calling Justin. Poor Justin was in London. I was like, "Justin." He was like, "Jordana, don't worry, I got you," but this is really hard. I've got my crews working nonstop, and I have to keep rewriting things and shifting things. No, I think Justin had one vision in mind, and then we got derailed. I'll never make that mistake again. Let's just say that.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Do you remember what it was supposed to be originally for Mia in that movie?
Jordana Brewster:
There was a larger set piece with me getting kidnapped and me being there for more of the time, and then we just had to condense it into a week.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
That makes sense. Back to Fast Five, we talked about a lot of different scenes, but, I don't know, is there... Now, especially it's so fresh having rewatched it, do you have a favorite scene from Fast Five?
Jordana Brewster:
I mean, my favorite scene is definitely the action scene with Paul, where... The one where Vin is running ahead of us, and we're all within the same... It's like this giant set piece, the favela, but then Vin is running from The Rock, and then he's meeting Elsa. I'm switching between real names and character names. Then Paul and I are also on their feet, on their tails, whatever. I just remember being so nervous, not wanting to let anyone down, and then Paul supporting me. He was like, "I got you." Then there are these great pictures. I don't know if you can find them. I have them on my phone. I can send them to you, where we're behind the monitors.
We're just like, "Yes, we got it." That's what it was like. For all of us, we just wanted this to be the best possible. We don't want to let down our fans, and we don't want to let each other down. That was just the best. That was the best scene, because, again, with my bandage on and... Also, it's a really long scene, but it just keeps you on the edge of your seat. That's definitely my favorite one.
Derek Lawrence:
You didn't let any fans now with this one. I'll keep saying it. What an incredible movie, so there's-
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
That definitely worked out.
Jordana Brewster:
It also showed my home. It showed Rio in the most beautiful way, which I loved.
Derek Lawrence:
Is there a scene you wish you were in? Is there maybe you're furious that you weren't in a certain scene?
Jordana Brewster:
Justin did tell me that I was going to be in a bathing suit, and then I was never in a bathing suit. I was working out and getting ready. I was like, "Oh my god, I'm so ready to show Mia as sexier," and it never happened. That bummed me out a little bit, not that I'm asking for it now because like, "No thanks." But back then, I wanted to like be in a... I think it was going to be some kind of a fun scene with me, Tyrese and Chris on the beach. The other thing I'm reminded of when I rewatched the films is I think in real life, I'm so, sometimes, shy or a little bit soft spoken.
When I watched, I'm like, "Oh my god, Mia is such a badass." Like, "Yes. I love that. It's so cool." Even on the last Fast that we just shot, I remember Michelle being like, "Girl, speak up. Come on, what do you think of this?" Justin was doing the same thing. He was like, "Well, I want your opinion on this." I was like... To see Mia and be like, "Oh, she's such a good example for women out there," and she's even a good example for me to just own it. I love that about her.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I think that this movie is pivotal for her in the sense that... Before now, Dom has always wanted Mia to go on and do other things, and not get wrapped up in the same life. This is the first instance where she's fully all in starting from the very beginning with helping to break down out of that bus. Is that something that you think about now as you're deeper into who she is? She's a mother now as well. What do you think about Mia's arc? What is it for you when you're trying to play it, how she's grown up, what her choices are? What do you think she's the most, I guess, invested in at this point? Is it being part of the craziness or?
Jordana Brewster:
It's not being part of the craziness, but I think... I mean, that's the other theme I love about five. It's sort of like it is Robin Hood, right? When we burned the cash, that's another one in my feed. It's like, we're not in it solely for the money. We are into what is right, and we do stand for family, and we do... We will do whatever we need to do for each other, and in the same way, I will do whatever I need to do for my brother. I will do whatever I need to do for my family.
It's this code that they live by that I think is very... That's really honorable, and I love seeing her strengthen that. I mean, she's often put in these impossible positions, whether it's choosing between Brian and Dom. You remember that epic scene in the first movie where she's just looking at her brothers, oh my God, and then looking at the love of her life. Then in the next one, it's more about Jacob and Dom and holding these two opposites together. She is the balancing energy, right? I love playing with that.
It's really fun. It's really, really fun, but I also think it'd be really fun to have more scenes with Nathalie and Michelle, and to really have more action, because I think that would be in the future, I think. It's really fun playing with that, because who doesn't want to be a badass?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, a scene that I want to ask you about is the big fight between Hobbs and Dom, which you're present for and which is still... Every time I watch it, I'm like, "This is insane." It's just two beasts going at it. It's crazy. You got the front row seat for that. What was it like filming that? You're having to yell the top of your lungs. You're watching these two go at it. What was it like filming that one?
Jordana Brewster:
It was really... I mean, I think a lot of people have this joke, take a shot every time I scream, "Dom." I was actually... I rewatched that scene, and I was like, "That's really powerful," because he's in a trance, because he's going back to what happened to him, and led him to go to jail and what sort of trauma he endured as a kid. Then I snapped him out of it, because I'm the voice of reason that he will listen to, and he comes too and stops himself from ruining his life. That's really powerful. I remember, because I was... I'm 40 now. I was 30. I remember in the moment shooting that scene being so intimidated.
Jordana Brewster:
It's all these dudes. It's all this testosterone. Vin is a huge action star. The Rock is a huge action star, and I'm like, "And I have to interrupt this?" But then I have to put myself aside, and go, "No. No. No. No. Mia's got the... She's going to be the badass here." I love the amount of resonance that that moment has. It's really good.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Something that I don't, not necessarily, forget, but you referenced is because earlier in the movie, Hobbs character brings up Dom's past and whatnot, so it does really feel like the stakes are really high, but it starts out as just a big action set piece, but then it is really emotional too in that way, because you don't want him to go that far.
Jordana Brewster:
Totally. I remember in the first scene where... not in the first scene, in the first movie, it reminds me a little bit of when Letty's like, "Dom, let's go." When she's just like... I feel like the Fast and Furious franchise has always been really ahead of its time in terms of diversity, in terms of representing women with just as really strong. I remember when Michelle read her role, she was like, "No. No. I'm not playing that," and then she changed it completely. I don't want to speak for her, but I think it went from a trophy girlfriend to this really layered character. Universal and Vin and the franchise have always done a great job of that, so I'm really proud to be a part of that.
Derek Lawrence:
I've seen that one... the last scene I want to ask you about specifically in Fast Five, obviously, you're not actually pulling the the safe in the car, but you have the funniest part, I would say, of that end sequence, just commentating back at the headquarters. What was it like filming that? Are you just on your own there? Are you getting to watch stuff like footage? How-
Jordana Brewster:
That's really hard. No. It's really hard. By the way, my son again was like, "Mom, your role sucks in this part." Can you just skip that part of the action? It's really difficult because you're given context, right? I have the hardest time as an actor reading action sequences. When I'm reading action sequences, I'm like, "La, la, la, la, la dialogue." I get totally into action sequences. I'm like, "This crashes into this building," and then I just zone out, so it's very hard to contextualize it and really understand, "Oh, okay, now they're swapping the thing so that it's a different safe," and that's going to be the...
I don't really fully understand it until I watched the movie, and I go, "Oh, that's what you were doing. Awesome. I'm glad I faked it." It's very hard to contextualize, so you just fake it till you make it. Justin's like, "Here's what's happening." I'm like, "Yeah." No, that's one of the hardest roles. Nathalie Emmanuel has that role now, and she has all this jargon and all this technical stuff. She goes, "They're coming. They're coming from the right, and then you're going to have to..." I'm like, "I'm so glad I don't get to do that anymore." Those are really hard. Those are really hard to memorize that stuff, because you can't picture...
Jordana Brewster:
I don't know. It's hard.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That reminds me though for in Fast Five, it is the first time that we see that Mia has a little bit more of the tech expertise. IS that something that you guys talked about? When you first got the script or whatever, did you discuss that becoming a facet of her character?
Jordana Brewster:
We did. I think it was also because I think it was a byproduct of me being pregnant and not being able to go out there with them, so this is how I'm going to direct them and lead them.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
Into the homestretch of talking Fast Five, we're going to go into what we call the final lap, a few more rapid fire, hopefully fun questions. I guess first off, if you could pick one actor, whether it's from the Fast universe or just any actor to be in this specific movie, maybe it's someone who hadn't shown up yet in the Fast movies, or just an actor you would always love to see, who should we put in Fast Five if there was a world where we could do such a thing?
Jordana Brewster:
In Fast Five or in the Fast universe?
Derek Lawrence:
Fast Five. It could even be like, "Hey, maybe we wanted Nathalie to show up early." You know what I mean? It could be something like that even.
Jordana Brewster:
Nathalie showing up early would have been really cool. I'm sure I'm going to come up with the best answer in five hours. I feel like it'd be awesome to have Scarlett Johansson. I feel like she's such a badass. That would be really cool to have her in our universe. I'd love to have Sandra Bullock in our universe.
Derek Lawrence:
Jordana Brewster:
I would love a scene with Charlize Theron.
Derek Lawrence:
Jordana Brewster:
That was such a great addition.
Derek Lawrence:
I loved imagining Charlize as the bad guy in Fast Five. I think that would be an interesting... I mean, I love having her the bad guy later, but maybe we get a little taste of Charlize here, and then we would have gotten her more the next day. Maybe that's what we could have done.
Jordana Brewster:
Totally. That'd be really cool. Also, it's such a bummer that Jesse died in the first one, right? I'd love to see him back.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That would have been amazing, especially because you get Vince too. Just have them both play different roles in the overall job would have been a lot of [crosstalk 00:47:48].
Jordana Brewster:
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, what is death in Fast? We can get Jessie back. I don't know. He may be figured out a way. We got him into protection somehow. I don't know. We'll think.
Jordana Brewster:
Derek Lawrence:
We're not going to give up on him.
Jordana Brewster:
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Obviously, having the family together in every movie was a big part of it, so what would you bring to the family barbecue?
Jordana Brewster:
Food wise, I'd bring this drink from Brazil called the caipiroska, which is lemonade with vodka in it. That's what I would bring.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
That sounds nice.
Derek Lawrence:
In each of these interviews, we're trying to imagine what a spin off or a prequel would be for each character. Let's maybe jump ahead. You guys wrapped up the main series with Fast 11. I don't know. What do we think a Mia movie would look like? Do we go prequel there, or do you think there's a spin off? Well, I mean, what do you think?
Jordana Brewster:
No, I feel like there could be a really cool Mia and... I think women get better and better with age, and I love watching... I just think... I'm watching this Israeli show right now that's so good. I'm forgetting the name. It's genius. But all this to say, I think actresses get better with age, so I'd love to play Mia in her 50s or 60s with what Brian's kids would be like in their teens or 20s, right? What are they doing? Am I hiding out somewhere? What's going on there? Do they get in some shit that then Vin and I need to rescue them from? I think that would be really fun. Down the line, I think it can keep going and going, because generation, and the kids can step up.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
We've been going long enough, but that's what I'm waiting for is getting the next gen involved. Is there something else that happened in filming that people just wouldn't believe or wouldn't even think to notice? When you were rewatching it, was there something that you were like, "Oh, that was shot differently than how it appears in the final film?"
Jordana Brewster:
All the warehouse stuff was in Atlanta. That was really fun. Again, that set up the keeper part of everyone meeting up. I just love how that established that for future Fast and Furiouses. I think that's it. There are inside jokes that I couldn't see some of my co-stars again. They would kill me.
Derek Lawrence:
You've given some good teasers of what to expect for Fast Nine for all of us that are already fighting with anticipation to finally see it, but-
Jordana Brewster:
By the way, by the time it comes out, it's going to be so exciting because of all these delays.
Derek Lawrence:
Well, Jordana, thank you for joining us and forever becoming a part of the BINGE family, and going through this all time greatest movie.
Jordana Brewster:
Love it. Thank you so much.
The way I see it, you've earned yourself 24 hours. The money stays, though. If I were you, I'd use the time. Make peace with whatever demons you got left, because come tomorrow, I will find you.
Toretto, I'll see you soon.
Derek Lawrence:
Thank you again to, Jordana. A little peek behind the scenes, this is our fifth episode obviously of the show, Fast Five fitting. Jordana was actually the first interview we did for this series, and it was such an incredible way to kick off this adventure. It's an all time movie and an all time chat, so anytime we needed someone to talk us through a safe jacking in Rio, we now have a family friend to call, so thank you, Jordanna. But as we do every week, it's time to give out some awards. Like I said, Fast Five deserves every award it can get. Chanelle, what's our first category?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
As always, it's time to name who gained our respect the most. To refresh everyone's memory, as Brian says in Fast One, "If I win, I take the money and the respect. To some people, that's more important." This movie is packed with people. There are plenty of people who could have earned our respect, but what do you think? Who do you think takes it all?
Derek Lawrence:
Well, I would say the guy who gets both the money and the respect is Justin Lin. You know what I mean? This movie makes, what, $800 million, some crazy number. I hope he gets a nice cut of that. I'm sure he does, especially by now with F9, and then he wins our actual respect too, because we had him on last week as we said. Tokyo Drift, a cult favorite, I hate the word cult, but that movie truly became a cult favorite, and has its own unique look and feel in this franchise. Then Fast Four, we owe a lot to because it brought everyone back together. But Fast Five, you sit there and you watch Fast Five.
You walk out at the end, and you're like, "Justin Lin is one of the best action movie directors there is." He's only further confirmed that with Fast Six, and then the world hasn't seen F9 yet, but you know from the trailer, he's back to doing his old tricks. He's back to doing some wild stuff with action. I think it has to be Justin Lin, because this seals the deal of him just having the goods, and no one really be able to direct an action movie like he does.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Absolutely. Just the ambition of it is insane, and then of course, there are so many twists and turns for fans, but even just knowing some of how they crafted about like, "Oh, we think a scene like the favela rooftop run will take a week. We're going to do it in the day and a half." That's crazy, but they pulled it off, and it looks amazing. Everybody really bought in. That doesn't happen without Justin Lin proving that he's a great leader, director and has this whole action world in his mind, and he does it. It's perfect.
Derek Lawrence:
That's such a great scene. We talked a lot about it with Jordana, and it's so memorable for so many reasons the Brian and Mia part of it, the Hobbs just busting through that window after dawn, and that's the first these two Titans, these two hawks that we're going to see showdown later, this is the first time they lay eyes on each other. It's so beautifully shot. I mean, we could go on and on about how many great action sequences there are in this movie. He nails them all, so total full respect to Justin Lin. Next up, this is a special one for Fast Five, best montage. I mean, obviously, you can only have so many montages in the movie. We got two real great contenders.
Number one, we got the rounding up the team montage. With me, I love heist movies, and this is essentially a heist movie, right?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
I don't know. You're just like, "We need this guy," and then we get it... It shows Tyrese is the fast talker. We need a tech guy. All of a sudden, somehow we get Tej as the tech guy now as we've talked about with Luda on the two Fast episode. Then at the end, we need two precision drivers. It's like, "Oh, we got that."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
I'm like, "Oh, I love that so much." Then the end montage, after they steal the safe, what I'm going to refer to as the Danza Kuduro montage, which is Danza Kuduro, the Don Omar track, who's in this movie. He's in a lot of these movies now. I don't speak Spanish, and I said, "I don't know what any of the words he's actually saying, but it might be my favorite song of all time." Then you just... You add in this catchy banger alongside... We catch up with the people and what they did with their money afterwards. We get Han and Gisele in the car is probably the best moment of that and the best tease.
It's a tough one, but I don't know. Do you have a personal favorite between these two incredible montages?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I think if I have to pick, it is Danza Kuduro for few reasons. I mean, I love when a montage like that is really earned, and they have done these crazy feats, pulling off this highs, and everybody's after... How they celebrate is so different, and it's one of the few times we really get to see what those things are for many of these characters in this franchise. In a way, that's just super joyful, and also because I think, like we have talked about amongst ourselves, I don't think we've talked about it on the podcast necessarily, but the the Fast and Furious movies, they don't have a score that's immediately recognizable.
There's not a Jurassic Park or Indiana Jones where you hear a specific musical tone, and you know exactly what it is, but I think this song comes really close to that because it invokes this feeling of joy for the best action movie of all time. I have to go with the Danza Kuduro montage.
Derek Lawrence:
I mean, you're right, that's actually... I mean, Ludacris confirmed it. I said it on the two Fast episode. Ludacris, first, was blown away. He's yelled, "Oh, shit," but now he came around. That leads me right into best action movie of all time, but there's not an Oscar for that, but there should be, and this would win. Every week, like I said, we've done the rant about how the Oscars have never recognized Fast at all, but we like to give an Oscar out each week, or at least say what they should have been nominated for.
Derek Lawrence:
I think there's probably a few contenders here. Which ones jump out to you as obvious things that the academy missed out on with Fast Five?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I mean, well, we just talked about Danza Kuduro, which easily Best Original Song. Then we gave some props to Justin Lin. I think that would have been really fair for Best Director, some incredible work from him, but I think it's hard to talk about Fast Five without giving props to The Rock. He comes in. There's a lot of expectation around the character, the performance, and he nails it. It's so satisfying through and through.
Derek Lawrence:
It's impressive that we've gotten this deep into a Fast Five episode, and haven't talked in depth about The Rock, because this really was a game changer, him showing up here in Fast Five. The story was that originally, I think Vin and people were thinking about Tommy Lee Jones was the mold for this character. Then I think it was like... I think the story is... I've never talked to Vin specifically about it, but someone on Myspace or Facebook mentioned The Rock like, "How great it'd be to see The Rock and Vin together," and then that sparked it. He's just incredible in this. This is still...obviously, The Rock has become one of the biggest movie stars in the world, if not the biggest, but I don't think he's ever been better than Fast Five.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
This is probably... This is, I would say, a breakout performance, because obviously, he was so recognizable coming out the WWE, and then he obviously had some movie success, but I felt like it was up and down a bit. He had done a lot of family movies with a mix of some action movies that had worked, some that hadn't. He just shows up in this, and I feel like it's just been the trajectory. It's just been up ever since. Best Supporting Actor, The Rock, and sweatiest performance, The Rock as well. That's just... Man, I've never been there to Rio, but man, Hobbs is just in those Under Armor tight shirts, just sweating bullets, sweating bullets.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I had a friend who once said Fast Five is a movie where it's always raining, but only on The Rock. That's what I think about now forever, because that's what it feels like.
Derek Lawrence:
That's incredible. That's incredible. Well, I think we might end up talking more of The Rock in these awards. For now, we'll just say not only should he got nomination, I dare to say he should have won. Congratulations, Dwayne. One we haven't done yet, because I feel like we get some emotional moments, but not always in Fast but I feel like this one has a few big ones. For most emotional moments, are there a few that come to mind for you?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I mean, there are few great ones early on. With the reveal of Mia's pregnancy for instance, that's the first time we really have a moment like that, and this movie in general, because there's also Vin's kid is the first time we think really about the next generation of Fast people, even though it's not concrete. I think that's a good one right up top. They're thinking of splitting up, and Mia is like, "No, because it's family time." There is, of course, right before the big montage where they're talking about like... or is it right after? Anyway, around the montage where they're talking about their dads, and Brian asked, "Do you remember your dad?" They talked about that.
Now, it just seems... It's a tie back to what we know about the first movie and the conversation about the car with Dom and his dad. We learned even more. It's just really heartwarming in that way. But for me, a moment that I hate to say for get about it, because it's not like I don't know it's in there, but forget how impactful it is is that scene where they're captured, and then Hobbs' whole team is taken out in the ambush, and then that ends up being where we also lose Vince. That moment is so intense, and a movie that for the most part is just really, really fun, it becomes very tragic for really intense contained few minutes.
That, to me, is a big, big emotional one. It's also what gets Hobbs to change its approach to everything.
Derek Lawrence:
You're spot on with all of those. We talked about the Mia pregnancy reveal with Jordana. That was such an adorable moment, just all around, big moment for her character and then the reaction from both Dom and Brian just makes you smile every time. Vince is dead. Who would have imagined Vince character? I can't imagine anyone was a huge fan of after the first one. I mean, that was the point of the character, so that was nothing against Matthew Schultz, the actor. He played that well, but the redemption for him was really impactful, which was surprising and really well done. But for me, I think it's the Brian and Dom sitting out on the porch as Mia's sleeping right after they find out she's pregnant, and talking about their dads, like you said.
Derek Lawrence:
I feel like... Rewatching that scene, I can't help but quote it every time. Essentially, Brian asked Dom about what he remembers about his father, and then Dom's like, "My father? I remember everything about my father."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
The delivery is so good.
Derek Lawrence:
Everything, it's a great pause and then Brian just be like, "That's just it. I don't remember a shit about my dad. I don't remember just because he wasn't there." I don't know. Especially too... I think I actually brought that scene up to Vin, because remember in the first episode when we had Vin on, he was talking about F9 going before the first movie and tying in a bit, and I was like... This was the first scene I thought of just because these guys sitting there talking about their fathers, and obviously, especially Dom's father is someone we've heard a lot about, but have never seen. I think maybe this scene, I feel like this would be my pick, and maybe after F9, it'll even look better as the pics.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I was also just thinking about the delivery line of, "I remember everything about my father." I think that's also part of what strikes me about the Vince's death is because that's when we get the line right after he says, "I got eyes on Nico now," which is not a line that they have really reused since like a sentiment that way, but both times, every time that Dom is called upon to be emotional in this movie, it's really affecting.
Derek Lawrence:
Does he still have his eyes on Nico? We haven't seen... We haven't laid our eyes on Nico.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I would love to see Nico.
Derek Lawrence:
I wonder if maybe Jakob goes and recruits Nico. He's like, "Hey..."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
In F9, he's like, "Hey, he used to have eyes on you, but look who's looking at you right now."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
You're my family now.
Derek Lawrence:
Exactly. Next up, this has got to be a deep one, but the, "Where are they now?" Monica Fuentes, truly, where are you? I feel like every episode, I'm calling out like, "People, give me Eva Mendes back in these movies." Vin said... Again, I suggested it to Vin, and he said stay tuned, essentially. I feel like they would really... They'd love to bring her back. I think it's more probably Eva Mendes has obviously taken a step back from acting, so hopefully she can make an exception to appear in one of these final two Fast movies.
Obviously, her and Brian, the Monica and Brian characters were the ones really connected in that second movie. Brian's not really around for that, but they connected her with Hobbs, as you mentioned earlier at the end credits of Fast Five. I don't know. It's there. We could get that hopefully.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
There's a way into that narrative still because of Hobbs. I think especially if we don't get The Rock back in the main movies, the final two, that's a great way to still bring that energy, and keep that relationship mentioned in the story is by bringing her back. I also feel like just from what we've heard from everybody so far about getting the original cast back for Four and on and stuff like that, if there is any team that could convince Eva Mendes to come back to acting, I feel like it's this team, so holding out hope.
Derek Lawrence:
I'm available to help if they need. I'll give in my pitch to her if need be. All right, I feel like biggest heat check's up next. I mean, it has to be. We said we were going to get back to The Rock. That's because that introduction to Luke Hobbs, that first scene... Fast does intros so well. The Dom intro in Fast One, the Ludacris intro in two fast, they nail it every single time, and no exception here when Hobbs gets... He flies in. He gets off the plane in Rio sweating already. They need to get some AC or some central air in that plane.
Derek Lawrence:
It's two minutes of him just talking to this local cop, and then he just rounds it out with the one F bomb that a PG 13 movie could have, and telling them to stay the fuck out of his way. I just used our one F bomb for the series right there. It's just incredible. You're like, "Holy crap." This guy just showed up, and I'm like, "I need him to stay on my screen."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
It's a perfect combination of macho energy, big, larger than life personality, but also, every other line in that opening conversation is a joke, which is amazing to me. It's all quotable, including what he's... I love when he's like, "Give me the damn veggies," when he's talking about the information and what order he likes it in. It's so good throughout, and just fully easily quotable, a perfect introduction to that character and to The Rock in this franchise.
All right, listen up, the men we're after are professional runners. They're like speed and guaranteed to go down the hardest possible way, so make sure you got your thunderwear on. We find them. We take them as a team, and we bring them back, and above all else, we don't ever, ever let them get into cars. Let's go hunt.
Derek Lawrence:
Chanelle, we don't ever, ever let them get into cars. That's always a good rule. That's always a good rule in these movies. Sticking with The Rock, I think this is probably going to be... We have a few options in the next one, but I feel like he's going to be a winner in this category as well. He just keeps winning, and maybe that's a precursor to the end here. The holy shit moment of the week, I'll give you a few options. Like I said, I feel like I already just played our cards. We got the train heist, which I feel is actually now underrated. We don't talk enough about that big train heist early on.
There are so many different elements to it, and the ending with Dom, "Shitty call, O'Connor, shitty call." Maybe there'll be a shitty call if I don't pick that one in the holy shit moment of the week. We talked about the end credits, Eva Mendes showing back up and revealing that Letty is still alive. The safe scene, I could go on and on about the safe scene. Then finally, it was building up to it the whole movie, but we get The Rock and Vin showdown, Hobbs and Dom, one of the maybe the most brutal fight I've ever seen in film, not brutal in the terms... We've seen bloodier, but just these two heavyweights just trading punches, and you feel it.
I remember watching, I was sitting in the IMAX theater being like, "I thought I was getting hit at certain times." It was that kind of punishing action.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
I think it's almost like... We talked about other scenes and stuff for most emotional moment, but I think also part of what makes that scene so intense, and we talked about it a little bit with Jordana too is just the stakes of it. I always... The one thing I think about is towards the end, he picks up that giant wrench thing, and it's a clear thread back to the first movie and what we know Dom spent time in prison for. You're like, "Oh, is he going to kill this man?" Then he doesn't.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
It's just so heart pounding in a way that we've come to expect from the big car-related said pieces, but we didn't get to see as much one on one, and so this would have brought back that just really intimate but intense energy in a way that's like, "Oh my god." It hits every time you watch it.
Derek Lawrence:
There are so many great elements to it. We talked Mia's role in it. We talked about with Jordana, the tie back to the first movie with the wrench. We know, basically, Dom's origin story, where his criminal ways got started with a wrench in a similar situation. There's so many different elements to it. I feel like that has to be the demo, but even if it's not a surprise, you're still just... Every time you watch, you're like, "Holy crap. I can't believe this happened."
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Before we move on real quick, I just thought too, if we want to further just submit how they did it all before the Avengers. I recently rewatched Captain America Civil War, and there's that moment where Steve raises the shield like he's going to basically kill Iron Man, and then he doesn't. This is literally that moment except they did it years before, so credit to that.
Derek Lawrence:
You don't ever have to convince me that this is the true Avengers, and this is the better world of superheroes. Usually, the second to the last award we do is the Ja Rule mistake of the week, but I'm going to be honest, skip, this movie's perfect. No notes, no mistakes, everything. Do run it all back. I would give them no advice if they were remaking this movie.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Fully agree, the only Ja Rule mistake is still Ja Rule for not allowing himself to be in this franchise long enough to appear in this movie.
Derek Lawrence:
I hate to say it, I think Ja Rule, one of his CDs was probably the first Parental Advisory CD I ever bought. I was a fan, but still, I think it worked out for all of us that we got Luda instead. As we do every week, we wrap up, because we know when he's winning, so we always ask who the ultimate winner is of the film we're talking about. I feel like he's come up so many times throughout this. He's gotten so many awards already, but it has to be The Rock, right?
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
100% agree. I mean, we already talked about how perfect the intro is, how intense that fight is, but then also, it's set up for the Luke... This movie sets up the Luke Hobbs character coming back so often to the point that now, there's a spin off movie with that character. I mean, really, especially for someone new to come into the franchise with this movie where everybody's focused on such a big team up, how do you get any better than what The Rock manages to accomplish for himself here? Major win all around.
Derek Lawrence:
A couple years ago, I ranked... I update it every time he has a new movie out, but I ranked The Rock's movies, every single movie he's ever done. I had Fast Five number one, which is not a surprise. I literally how many times in this episode have already called it the greatest movie of all time. If it's the greatest movie of all time, it probably should be the greatest Rock movie of all time, right? Again, I don't think... I've enjoyed him in other stuff. I think before we got on, we were talking about Jumanji, and you know how delightful he is in Jumanji.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
I don't think he's ever been better than in Fast Five. There's just something he tapped into here that I always say I wish we would see more of. Obviously, we've got it with Hobbs in six, seven, eight, and then in the Hobbs and Shaw, and hopefully, my... We keep asking people in our interviews, what's your one thing you want to see before these movies wrap up? Mine is Dom and Hobbs in a scene together. I missed that dynamic. I think this is the movie that just catapulted The Rock to new levels of movie stardom, and he's just so good. Every time I watch it, I just can't believe how good he is.
So many people won with this. I mean, everyone's a winner, really, but if we have to pick the ultimate winner, it's The Rock.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Absolutely. Fully agree.
Derek Lawrence:
Well, I said we could have done a whole series just on Fast Five. To be honest, maybe we still will.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
Derek Lawrence:
After F9 comes out, I gotta have something to take up my time, so we might have to circle back for a 10-part series just on Fast Five. But until then, thank you again to the great Jordana Brewster, what a great interview. Like Brian O'Connor, we hope we earned your respect and that you keep listening to EW's BINGE: The Fast Saga. Next week, a big one, Sung Kang is here to talk Fast Six in the long winding road upon. That was a great one. As Tej would say, it's going to be an all timer, so make sure you're there for that one.
Derek Lawrence:
In the meantime, please subscribe and listen along every week wherever you get your podcasts. Rate us. Tell us what you think. Share it with your friends and family.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
You can find us on Twitter at Derek J Lawrence, or me at Chanelle Berlin.
Derek Lawrence:
Also, head to ew.com for complete coverage of The Fast Saga and full episode transcripts.
Chanelle Berlin Johnson:
This episode was hosted and produced by Derek Lawrence and Chanelle Berlin Johnson, produced edited and mixed by Samee Junio, and executive produced by Carly Usdin and Shana Naomi Krochmal.
Derek Lawrence:
Thanks for listening, and until next time. Salud mi podcast familia.
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Jordana Brewster talks 'special' Fast Five, learning how to be a 'badass' from Mia Jordana...
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