Zulay Henao stars in True Memoirs Of An International Assassin.
The action comedy stars Kevin James as Sam Larson, a mild-mannered would-be author who gets mistaken for a killer-for-hire when his fictional novel about an international assassin is published as a true story. When the book is a huge success, he is suddenly kidnapped, taken out of the country, and forced into an assassination plot.
Read our exclusive interview with her below!
What attracted you to the project?
I really appreciated the heroic aspect of my character Rosa. It was great to play an emotionally stable, intelligent, and brave woman with so many complexities and different layers. The role required a lot of physical training for the fighting sequences and although it overwhelmed me at first, I loved every minute of it.
Tell us about your character?
I play a DEA agent working in the dark, underworld of drug trafficking and government corruption. Rosa has a backstory I created that really propels her to work tirelessly with Sam (Kevin James) to create a better reality for her country. She is fiery and tough but at the same time has a heart of gold.
What was it like working with Kevin James?
Kevin is truly one of my favorite people, I learned a lot about comedy watching him. Aside from obviously being so happy to work alongside him because of his talent, it was really great to meet such an amazingly spiritually grounded and kind human being.
What was it like working with the director?
Jeff Wadlow and I will work together again (I’m going to manifest that). I auditioned for his film Kick Ass 2 some time ago, so our collaboration was in the works. He works hard and is very clear as to what he wants and knows how to talk to actors to make his vision come to life. We had a blast and I really admire his intensity and work ethic! I also appreciate that he wrote such a compelling part for a woman, a Latina woman. I am happy to say that he is helping in changing the narrative of Latinos by creating roles that are not stereotypical.
What was your favorite scene to film?
Good question- I loved every moment of filming this movie. It was really gratifying to film my first action sequence in the movie, where I come in and “save” Sam. I also have a pretty intense fight scene. After weeks of training- showing up, executing, and having the stunt team tell me how good and natural it looked, I have to say felt awesome.
What other upcoming projects are you working on?
Right now, I am producing my first feature film with brother with whom I’ve started my production company. Our first script is called, The Sound of Humming, we spent a year in the writing process and now are pitching to executives and my team. I think it is important for me to create content for myself and for others as well, in addition to creating content it’s important for me to think about the project’s longevity.
The film will debut on November 11, 2016 on Netflix.