Kristanna Loken On-set interview

Arnold Schwarzenegger has fought terrorists, aliens, superheroes and even the devil himself, but his biggest challenge will be a Norwegian blonde girl. Kristanna Loken plays the Terminatrix in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Like Robert Patrick's T-1000 was a surprise in T2, Loken's Terminatrix will be such a surprise that producers won't even specify what her big powers are.

On set, it was clear to see that massive strength came with the territory. Schwarzenegger wrapped his half of the fight scene between his T-800 and her TX in a bathroom, but Loken was still shooting plates for the special effects team. For a shot in which the TX rams the T-800's head through a marble wall, Loken was hefting a blue reference dummy. The dummy was measured to Schwarzenegger's actual size so that the effects team could insert him over the blue figure, making it look like Loken was effortlessly lifting Schwarzenegger around.

As she shot take after take of the ram, Loken accidentally rammed her own hand into the marble wall. Ever the trooper, she continued doing more takes. On a break, she met journalists to discuss her work on Terminator 3. Standing 5' 11", she wore a read leather suit with her blonde hair pulled so tightly into a bun that not a single strand stuck out.

How do you make yourself imposing to Arnold?

I guess believing in my strength through all the training. Probably that, really just having that core belief of physical strength.

What kind of training have you had?

I did about six weeks of training before we started with an Israeli form of fighting that they teach their military called Krav Maga. I worked with a mime coach. I did weapons training. I did weight training.

Did you hurt your hand shooting this scene?

Yeah, yeah. That's par for the course. I've had all sorts of bruises.

Has Arnold hurt you accidentally?

No, no, no. He was very conscious.

Did you ever hurt him?

No, no, no. Not for what he's worth.

How complex is the fight choreography?

Well, it's different in the fact that you haven't seen anything like it because it's just sheer force. With the weight of the terminators and everything, it's a lot of really violent, large scale things.

Have you done any of your own stunts?

I do what I can. I don't do the going through the wall bits or stuff like that, but I've done quite a bit.

How did you get the role?

It was one of those things where I've worked consistently since I was 13, obviously on much smaller scale productions, but I heard this was coming around a little before Christmas and I thought, "Hmm, that's something that I think I can really do" because I'm tall, I have a deeper voice and when I was younger, I looked older, so people didn't really know how to cast me. So, I thought, "Well, here's something that has absolutely no limitations and I can use all of my strengths" and somehow it just fit.

How are you preparing for the recognition you'll have after this comes out?

I'm not. I don't know what to expect. I'm just at this point really just trying to finish up and do a great job and hold it together and just take it as it comes.

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