Yancy
Butler, who plays the lead role in TNT's upcoming Witchblade movie, told
The Continuum that simply showing up for work during the 27-day shoot proved
challenging.
As
Sara Pezzini, the New York detective who comes across and becomes owner
of the mysterious gauntlet known as the Witchblade, Butler found herself
in the majority of the scenes in the movie.
"They
didn't have a 'B' story, which is understandable," Butler said. "Everybody's
purpose was served very well, with all of it pyramiding up to Sara. I don't
even call myself the star of it as much as I'm wearing the star on my wrist.
But we really didn't have a 'B' story, so it was all Sara all the time.
"Sara's
a little active. It was a very physically demanding role. But I like doing
stuff like that. I like being able to play in the playground. Yeah, it
was physically demanding, but it turned out to be great."
"Yancy's
great, a total pro," said Witchblade director Ralph Hemecker. "She's a
great actress, and she's very physical, which helps. She's really got the
full package and that's not easy to find."
"Not
only is she Sara," said Top Cow's Marc Silvestri, an executive producer
of Witchblade, "she takes Sara to a new level."
Butler
is gratified at the early buzz around her performance, especially from
the fans of the comic book who saw a sneak preview of Witchblade at the
Wizard World convention.
"To
portray and give a voice to someone who has only lived in a comic book
before is very unsettling and very concern-producing," Butler said. "It
was such a relief to hear from Marc and the fans that it works right."
The
key, according to Butler, is having made Sara a real, flesh-and-blood character.
"I
find that often when people try to write for strong women, and especially
when adapting a comic book to a real-life person, they have a tendency
to be caricatures of themselves," Butler said. "What I liked about Sara
is that she's a real human being. Our director kind of brought it to this
realistic level where you do care about her and you can relate to her.
I think it makes it that much more potent.
"It
really could have been very cheesy. Any project can be, but this specifically,
when you're dealing in such a fantastical realm, has the potential to be
cheesy. I can't think of any other word but cheesy. Not only was this not
cheesy, but it was executed so well. I'm very proud of it."
Butler
said she appreciate the duality of Sara. "She's real strong yet vulnerable,"
Butler said. "Kick ass, yet very sexy. She's tough."
How
tough? In addition to the fight scenes, viewers will get a chance to see
Butler's physical skills up close.
"There
is one scene in this where you see Sara try to work out her demons and
she goes to the gym," Butler said. "I was there for a 4-1/2 hour session
of doing sit-ups and punching a bag, which I had never done. My lovely
director Ralph was saying, 'Just 10 more.' And I'm saying, 'You got to
be kidding me.' It was very difficult, but it was well worth it."
And
what was wearing the Witchblade like?
"It
was totally big and heavy," Butler said. "The bracelet itself, I kind of
like. We made it this harmless and very pretty bracelet. We actually had
two gloves. One was a rubber one, and one was a metal one. They were both
very hard and cold, very different. I can't say I've ever played a character
like that."
Witchblade
was made as a pilot for a potential weekly series on TNT, which won't make
a decision until after the movie's ratings come in.
"My
entire life's in limbo," Butler said. "I might be doing another film if
and when before we start (on a Witchblade series), which I can't talk about
because nothing's been signed yet.
"But
am I going to be living in Toronto for the next five years? Or is that
it? It can be quite unsettling. I try to live my life by not expecting
too much, that way I'm just pleasantly surprised. But I would love to see
it go to series."
