Yancy
Butler (Avedon Hammond) continues to redefine the traditional roles of
women in films, playing, what she terms "an ass-kicker." The description
should come as no surprise to filmgoers who have seen Ms. Butler in Hong
Kong action-meister John Woo's hugely successful 1993 film "Hard Target,"
starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Lance Henriksen -- or in John Badham's
equally auspicious 1994 action drama "Drop Zone," starring with Wesley
Snipes and Gary Busey. She had appeared earlier in the 1992 mafia drama
"The Hit List," starring James Coburn and Jeff Fahey.
What
is surprising is how tenderly Butler speaks of her macho screen colleagues:
"Jean-Claude is the most sensitive and considerate actor I've ever worked
with. He possesses a kind of European gallantry" -- and "John Woo is such
a gentle man. He's almost a choreographer, moving his actors through the
film as if they were dancers."
Prior
to making the transition from television into feature films -- a lead she
attributes much to her considerable physical abilities -- Butler starred
as a regular on NBC's series "South Beach" as well as on that network's
"Mann & Machine" where she played -- appropriately -- a robot with
physical strength far beyond that of mortal women.
Ms.
Butler, besides studying to further hone her acting talent, maintains the
peak physical condition required by her film roles by working out regularly.
