So we're coming up to is it almost 20 years
that you've been playing the character Mia in the Fast and Furious franchise?
It's been 20 years since, insane. Wow.
So what is it like?
It's not often that it that an actor gets to play a role for that length of time.
So what has it been like
walking in his shoes and playing this character for that long?
It's been great walking in MIA's shoes.
But I think the thing that helps the most is working with the same people,
working with Vin [Diesel]
and working with Justin [Lin]and working with the same hair and makeup crew,
because then you have a shorthand.
You feel so comfortable with each other.
So it's just like you're playing when you're on set.
It's it's really, really nice.
And that doesn't really happen often in in Hollywood.
It was interesting
because I was talking to Justin about the themes of this movie and the family
fatherhood and dealing with your past and how we get to delve
into that in this one.
And he was also saying that it's also like a family offset with,
you know, how you guys have grown up
together in a way , you know, having kids and things like that as well.
So you've got the what's happening on on, you know, the movies
and then also this past life where it's like two families.
It is. It really is.
It's like I mean, so I met Justin on Anapolis
and with with Tyrese, and that was many moons ago.
But we have grown up together.
I mean, he's seen me through I mean, now I'm going on my second marriage.
We know each other's kids
then. And my children play together.
I mean, it's it's really, really nice to have that sense of community,
because I think it also makes us all so much more invested in in
having all of us do better and wanting the best for for each other.
So it's it's really it's a really cool thing.
And why do you think the franchise has been so successful
that now you've got the second generation of fans coming through?
Yeah, I think I think a couple of things.
I mean, I think it's hard to find, you know, what the magic bullet is.
I'm not sure what that is, but I do think that we were ahead of the curve.
Twenty one years ago or 20 years ago on
portraying multiculturalism
and showing the world like this is what you guys actually look like.
And I think a lot of audiences identified themselves in the film
and related to it and went, oh, wait, that that's what my family's like.
And that's I relate to that.
And so I want to go to the film and see myself on screen.
And I think that was refreshing.
And I think there was also a lot of girl power.
You know, before girl power was was
like a buzz word.
And so I think Letty's character and Mia's character
were really strong examples of what how girls can kick ass.
And I think that was really appealing to women.
And I think the sense of family and having a code despite,
I don't know, maybe sometimes not really
doing the perfect thing, I think that's also very relatable to people .
So despite the fact that we're in these
extraordinary circumstances and some of us are going to space and
and crazy stuff's happening at the core, I think people can identify
with what we're doing and the values that we're honoring
and talking about being ahead of its time and with the kick ass
action scenes with and having these tough, like cool chicks in it.
I love the sequences with you and Michelle Rodriguez.
What was it like working with her on F9 was so much fun.
I love Michelle.
You know, I've always loved Michelle because she does something that I
that I have only been able to do in my 40s, which is like
speak up and and and stand up for myself.
And she was doing that on number 1.
Like she read the script and went,
I'm not saying these lines
like you guys better change this up or I'm not going to be in it.
And that's something I never would have had the courage to do.
So she's always been
a great role model to me, and she's always been refreshingly honest.
And I think that's refreshing for everyone that's around Michelle.
And she fought really hard for our scenes.
And she was like, there's so much backstory with Letty and Mia.
And yet the audience hasn't seen that.
And we need to see more of that.
And hopefully we'll we'll see more of that in the next two as well.
I think that would be really fun to explore. Oh, that would.
And today I get to recreate an action sequence from the film.
So what was your favorite action sequence to film?
My favorite action sequence was it's so the first is number five,
where I and you'll probably feel
a little bit of this when when you do the zip line.
When I'm jumping off the rooftop with Paul [Walker]
was was so much fun for me.
I was completely unprepared, like there was a harness in my trailer
and I had no idea what it was for.
And then Justin was like, hey, you guys are jumping off a rooftop. No big deal.
But the trick on that is
your face has to look cool and you have to seem cool as a cucumber.
So you have to practice that.
You should probably tape yourself on the zipline as you do it,
because if you look back, my face is going like this as I'm doing it.
And and when I'm thinking about it, I'm like, why?
, I was pregnant, so it's OK that she was freaked out,
but really that's just Jordanna being freaked out.
But I think that's the challenge is looking cool while you're
doing these crazy stunts.
And then the second the second
my second favorite stunt scene was definitely Tokyo,
because fighting with Michelle and doing the the practical
stunt scenes, it was a lot of fun in the fight scene.
Oh, that scene was amazing. I loved it. Yes.
Thank you so much for chatting to HeyUGuys, really appreciate it.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
You're watching.
Hey, you guys. Hey, you guys.
How are you guys?
Is that from The Goonies in today's House? Hey, you guys.
So we're coming up to is it almost 20 years
that you've been playing the character Maya in the Fast and Furious franchise?
It's been 20 years. Insane. Wow.
So what is it like?
It's not often that it that an actor gets to play a role for that length of time.
So what has it been like
walking in his shoes and playing this character for that long?
It's been great walking in my shoes.
But I think the thing that helps the most is working with the same people, working
with and working with Justin and working with the same hair and makeup crew,
because then you have a shorthand.
You feel so comfortable with each other.
So it's just like you're playing when you're on set.
It's it's really, really nice.
And that doesn't really happen often in in Hollywood.
It was interesting
because I was talking to Justin about the themes of this movie and the family
fatherhood and dealing with your past and how we get to delve
into that in this one.
And he was also saying that it's also like a family offset with,
you know, how you guys have grown up
together in a way , you know, having kids and things like that as well.
So you've got the what's happening on on, you know, the movies
and then also this past life where it's like two families. It is.
It really is. It's like I mean, so I met Justin on Anapolis
and with with Tyrese, and that was many moons ago.
But we have grown up together.
I mean, he's seen me through I mean, now I'm going on my second marriage.
We know each other's kids
then. And my children play together.
I mean, it's it's really, really nice to have that sense of community,
because I think it also makes us all so much more invested
in in having me.
All of us do better and wanting the best for for each other.
So it's it's really it's a really cool thing.
And why do you think the franchise has been so successful
that now you've got the second generation of fans coming through?
Yeah, I think I think a couple of things.
I mean, I think it's hard to find, you know, what the magic bullet is.
I'm not sure what that is, but I do think that we were ahead of the curve.
Twenty one years ago or 20 years ago on
portraying multiculturalism
and showing the world like, oh, this is what you guys actually look like.
And I think a lot of audiences identified themselves in the film
and related to it and went, oh, wait, that that's what my family's like.
And that's I relate to that.
And so I want to go to the film and see myself on screen.
And I think that was refreshing.
And I think there was also a lot of girl power.
You know, before girl power was was
like a buzz word.
And so I think LEIDY'S character and Mia's character
were really strong examples of what how girls can kick ass.
And I think that was really appealing to women.
And I think the sense of family and having a code despite,
I don't know, maybe sometimes not really
doing the perfect thing, I think that's also very relatable to people .
So despite the fact that we're in these
extraordinary circumstances and some of us are going to space and
and crazy stuff's happening at the core, I think people can identify
with what we're doing and the values that we're honoring
and talking about being ahead of its time and with the kick ass action scenes
and having these tough, like cool chicks in it.
I love the sequences with you and Michelle Rodriguez.
What was it like working with her on F nine was so much fun.
I love Michelle.
You know, I've always loved Michelle because she does something that I
that I have only been able to do in my 40s, which is like
speak up and and and stand up for myself.
And she was doing that on no one.
Like she read the script and went,
I'm not saying these lines
like you guys better change this up or I'm not going to be in it.
And that's something I never would have had the courage to do.
So she's always been
a great role model to me, and she's always been refreshingly honest.
And I think that's refreshing for everyone that's around Michelle.
And and she fought really hard for our scenes.
And she was like, there's so much backstory with Letty and Mia.
And yet the audience hasn't seen that.
And we need to see more of that.
And hopefully we'll we'll see more of that in the next two as well.
I think that would be really fun to explore. Oh, that would.
And today I get to recreate an action sequence from the film.
So what was your favorite action sequence to film?
My favorite action sequence was it.
So the first is the number five, where I and you'll
probably feel a little bit of this when when you do the zip line.
When I'm jumping off the rooftop with Paul
was was so much fun for me.
I was completely unprepared, like there was a harness in my trailer
and I had no idea what it was for.
And then Justin was like, hey, you guys are jumping off a rooftop. No big deal.
But the trick on that is your face has to look cool
and you have to seem cool as a cucumber. So you have to practice that.
You should probably tape yourself on the zipline as you do it,
because if you look back, my face is going like this as I'm doing it.
And and when I'm thinking about it, I'm like, well, I guess to me it was.
Pregnant, so it's OK
that she was freaked out, but really that's just Jordanna being freaked out.
But I think that's
the challenge is looking cool while you're doing these crazy stunts.
And then the second the second
my second favorite stunt scene was definitely Tokyo,
because fighting with Michelle and doing the the practical stunt scenes,
it was a lot of fun. The fight scene.
Oh, that scene was amazing. I loved it. Yes.
Thank you so much for chatting to how you guys really appreciate it. Thank you.