Never Back Down Interview star Sean Faris

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"Never Back Down" Interviews - Star Sean Faris

Sean Faris stars in the martial arts teen actioner "Never Back Down." He's clearly excited about his work on this project as he talks a bit about the physical preparation for the role of Jake Tyler, a guy who, after being physically humiliated by a stronger adversary, learns to fight MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) style under the guidance of his teacher played by Djimon Hounsou.

During this preparation, Sean broke a bone in his back after being body slammed for "like ten takes" which he only actually realized was broken after an additional two weeks of filming. "I still did 75% of my stunts, even after that" he continues.

I ask about his character's strength in the film. Is there any one particular power shot?

"Yeah, he has a mean right cross! That and the majority of his strength comes from his heart and a lot of fight within himself. I consider that the greatest strength that he has because that's what gets him through training and ultimately he has such a big heart that his mind changes along with it. He becomes more self-controlled and more disciplined; he learns to fight for the right reasons."

When asked about whether he's always been a fan of MMA and how he got into the character and how he relates to him he responds:

"I am a huge fan of mixed martial arts and I was before the film. I've actually been watching UFC since long time ago when they didn't even have rounds; basically it was one round and they had no time limit. They just fought until somebody gave up, you know tapped out or submitted or was knocked out. How do I relate to that? I don't know, I'm just a fan. I've never wanted to be a cage fighter myself but I definitely do enjoy the entertainment value of it all."

He's asked about who he thinks is hot in Hollywood right now and who influences him:

"I think the world of Ryan Gosling and Ben Foster. I actually worked with Jon Foster, his younger brother on 'Life As We Know It' and I came to know about him through Jon. We actually travel in the same circle as far as friends go, but I've really watched Ben Foster's career grow from the time I was doing 'Life as We Know It' about three, four years ago and he's just made such great choices. I find that really inspiring for me; I've also climbed the ladder now and I've gone from doing jobs that weren't necessary the roles that I've wanted but the roles I needed to help me get to a position where now I can start to pick the roles I want to go after."

Sean Faris and Djimon Hounsou in Never Back Down
Sean Faris in Never Back Down - Copyright© Summit Entertainment

He talks about what he's working on next:

"I'm currently in pre-production on a film that my manager and I are, who's my producing partner, are doing ourselves. We're going to produce a film called 'The Glass Eye' and we're hopefully going to have that going from end of March to early April, but you know, in Hollywood, you never know, it's all depending on which actors we can get and whose shedules we can work around. Other than that, there's a couple of projects I'd like to do but like I said, scheduling issues and what not. So we're just going to play it by ear and see what happens right now."

He's asked about 'Forever Strong' and whether it's been slated for a release date yet:

"...'Forever Strong' I believe they're waiting for 'Never Back Down' to drop in theatres on March 14 before they sell it to distributors. They've had a bunch of offers but they haven't taken any yet. 'Forever Strong' is a great movie; it's one of those coming of age films that's, you know, a feel good movie at the end of it, but that's about another character I played who...his name's Rick Penning, who has an alcohol problem and he gets sent off to a boy's home in Utah, but he plays Rugby, so he ends up playing for the team...and this is all based on a true story too...he ends up playing for his rival team. There he goes through a lot of life changes with the coach, his name's coach Gelwix, he's kind of like a father to the boys on the team, and he comes around and becomes a much better person because of it all. It's such a really great story and I can't wait for it to drop; hopefully that will be out by summer."

- Peter Dimako, Editor, Movie Jungle

Trailer for Never Back Down:

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Relevant Information for Never Back Down:

Starring:

Sean Faris, Djimon Hounsou, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, Leslie Hope, Neil Brown Jr., Steven Crowley, Affion Crockett, Joseph Cortez

M.P.A.A Rating: PG-13

Language/s:

Web Sites: Official Site

Directed By:

Jeff Wadlow

Written By:

Chris Hauty

Produced By:

Craig Baumgarten, David Zelon

Synopsis:

Set against the action-packed world of Mixed Martial Arts, NEVER BACK DOWN is the story of Jake Tyler, a tough kid who leads with his fists, and, often, with his heart. Jake Tyler, played by Sean Faris, is the new kid in town with a troubled past. He has recently moved to Orlando, Florida with his family who has relocated to support his younger brother’s shot at a professional tennis career. Jake was a star athlete on the football team at home, but in this new city he is an outsider with a reputation for being a quick tempered brawler.

Making an attempt to fit in, at the invitation of a flirtatious classmate, Baja (Amber Heard), Jake goes to a party where he is unwittingly pulled into a fight with a bully named Ryan McCarthy (Cam Gigandet). While he is defeated and humiliated in the fight, a classmate introduces himself to Jake and tells him about the sport known as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). He sees a star in Jake and asks that he meet with his mentor, Jean Roqua, played by Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, In America).

It is immediately apparent to Jake that MMA is not street fighting, but rather an art form he wants to master. Roqua will take Jake under his wing, but it is up to Jake to find the patience, discipline, willingness and reason within him to succeed. For Jake, there is much more at stake than mere victory. His decision will not just settle a score; it will define who he is.