Ballerina
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Interview: Sharon Duncan-Brewster Talks ‘Ballerina’ and What It Means to Be a Part of the ‘John Wick’ Franchise’s Legacy of Strong Female Characters
May 28, 2025Ben MK
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From Ted 'Theodore' Logan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure to Neo in The Matrix, Keanu Reeves has played some of cinema's most iconic characters. However, when it comes to the 60-year-old actor's most recent roles, none of his on-screen personas have come close to attaining the cult classic status of John Wick. Over the course of four action-packed installments, Reeves and director Chad Stalhelski have given moviegoers some of the most jaw-dropping set pieces the genre has ever seen. And now, with Ballerina, the torch has been passed to Ana de Armas and director Len Wiseman. The story of an orphan-turned-assassin named Eve (de Armas), this John Wick spin-off follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, delivering ample bullet-riddled battles and hand-to-hand combat. And just like John Wick Chapters 1-4, it also upholds the franchise's tradition of strong female characters, with de Armas being joined by Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Catalina Sandino Moreno. I caught up with Sharon Duncan-Brewster, who plays Nogi, to chat about Ballerina and the series' legacy of strong female characters, and to find out which major movie franchise she'd like to tackle next. The John Wick franchise is synonymous with the kind of male-oriented, testosterone-fueled action fantasy that often dominates the genre. But that's not to say the series isn't without its strong female characters. There was Ruby Rose in John Wick: Chapter 2, Halle Berry in John Wick: Chapter 3, and Rina Sawayama in John Wick: Chapter 4. And now, in Ballerina, we not only have a female protagonist in Ana de Armas, but we also have yourself and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Can you talk about what drew you to this spin-off, and what does being a part of the series' legacy of strong female characters mean to you? Duncan-Brewster: The draw is they've created such an unbelievably believable world. Yeah, there is a lot of violence in [that] world, there are people who are paid to assassinate people, people fight all the time — and, still, the quality and the style of the storytelling, how can I refuse to want to be invited into this world. Keanu has always been somebody that I've respected as a human being, let alone as an actor as well. So I was never gonna say anything but yes. And everything that came along after that was an added plus. Eve is the character who we, as women, have always wanted — we wanna see if from a different perspective and a different angle. We wanna see how tough somebody who has been an orphan and who's a woman [can be]. She's being mentored by Nogi, and we get to see not only the mentor challenges but the physical challenges as well. So there's no reason to say no. It was always going to be "yes" is what I'm trying to say. 
Of course, Eve isn't the first female protagonist in the action genre, and she certainly won't be the last. But in comparison with a genre like horror, she's still outnumbered by the number of male action protagonists. What, in your opinion, defines a strong female action lead, and how does Ballerina help level the playing field when it comes to gender equality in the genre?Duncan-Brewster: To be honest with you, I think that the minute we start to stop looking at things from a male/female perspective, the easier we're all gonna slide into what it is to allow everybody to be on a level playing field. I think, yeah, the action world has been heavily dominated by masculine energy, and I think it's a beautiful thing that we now have Ballerina and the characters even within the John Wick franchise. We're talking four films, and they've always had — if it's not at the forefront it's in the background — somebody who identifies as female fighting and kicking ass. So, as far as action films go, the John Wick franchise is well ahead, which is another reason why I wanted very much to be a part of it. And with the introduction now of Eve's character, I'm hoping that this is just the beginning for her. And for Ana as well, who's just amazing in the movie. Did you watch (or rewatch) the previous John Wick movies in preparation for Ballerina? And did you draw any inspiration from any of those other films in the franchise, or any other movies? Duncan-Brewster: I had only seen the first one, because I knew I was gonna be having a chat with the producers and Len, the director. I didn't know what was gonna happen in this chat. I didn't know if it was an audition or a chat to meet him. But after they invited me to play Nogi and I said yes, I then went and watched the four films, and really just stuck in there. It was like my bible, really. And as far as basing Nogi on anything, it was sort of an element of truth rather than anybody that I'd seen in the world. I deliberately didn't want to mimic or utilize anybody else that I'd seen in the films, because what I love about it is that there are so many defined characters that belong to so many different realms. When you meet these people, you wanna know more, and that's how they always tend to open up the following chapters. So it's great to just be Nogi and trust that the truth is she's a tough cookie. But her main purpose is to powerfully arm Eve as the best assassin she can possibly make her into, and to make her a survivor. Is there a scene in Ballerina that's a favorite of yours, or that was the most memorable for you to work on? Duncan-Brewster: For me, the dojo scene where Nogi instructs Eve to "fight like a girl" is probably one of my favorite scenes. I'm so glad that they used those lines, because that is something that I mentioned whilst we were in our very first chat. And I'm glad that it came up in the script, which is great. But to see Ana just flying in the air in that scene — I'm not sure if they actually take much of that clip, but I turned around and thought I was seeing somebody literally flying. That girl is incredibly fit and dedicated to what she does, and it was a pleasure to just to do that scene, because I just felt like I was really in the world at that point. 
Last but not least, you've played many strong women in major IPs like Dune, Star Wars and Doctor Who. But is there another franchise that would be a dream of yours to be a part of?Duncan-Brewster: I'd just love to be an action hero. But yeah, the comic world — I wouldn't run away from it at all. There are some whispers on the Internet — which I'm only just waking up to cuz I've hidden away from social media for a long time — but there's one name that's on the tip of people's tongues. I don't wanna get involved if there's a fight with regards to who plays this character, but I'd certainly be interested in playing her. To be considered for some maybe DC, maybe Marvel type worlds would be fab. It's interesting, [there are] so many sides to characters, and in the sort of superhero world, there's always a question where the vulnerable side [is], really. So I'm interested in taking that sort of approach towards who invites me to come into those entities. It's not just about what's going on physically, but mentally as well. |
Ballerina is in theaters June 6th.
