Meet Suicide Squad’s Karen Fukuhara (original) (raw)

Photo: Courtesy of Karen Fukuhara / @karenfukuhara

Though Suicide Squad only hits theaters today, the buzz around the film has already reached full volume. Trailers featuring the ragtag crew of “super-villains,” including Margot Robbie’s psycho-punk Harley Quinn, have been widely shared; then there is all the talk of the real-world (if not exactly professional) ink that Robbie doled out among the tight-knit cast using the tattoo gun she got for her birthday. “Everybody was in; nobody questioned it,” says Karen Fukuhara, who plays the sword-slinging Katana, lifting up the hem of her pants to reveal a tiny scrawled SKWAD on her heel. Not that the 24-year-old California native needed a permanent reminder of the experience: This big-budget action movie also happens to be Fukuhara’s big-screen debut.

This week, during a moment of calm between the New York and London premieres, the UCLA grad looked back on her breakout audition, when her well-honed karate skills and a friend’s borrowed practice sword scored her the part without an agent. As she told Vogue.com, prepping for the character’s fast-paced stunt work called for weeks of martial arts and strength training—while getting out of comic-book mode called for just the right skin care and shampoo.

What was your childhood like?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles; I’m still there! But both my parents are from Japan, so my first language was Japanese and I grew up with Japanese values, TV, food—everything. Outside of the house, I was a normal kid.

How did the Suicide Squad audition go?
The first audition was taped, and in the email it said, “If you have a sword lying around, make sure you bring it and do a little demonstration.” I was thinking, “Who has a sword lying around?” But sure enough, I had a friend who did, and he taught me all the ropes the day before. The second meeting was with David [Ayer, the director], and I did the same thing—martial arts, sword fighting, and an acting part. Somehow I ended up here! I didn’t have an agent when I got the movie, which is crazy.

When did you get into martial arts?
I started karate in middle school when my parents wanted me to babysit my younger brother. He was a little troublemaker, so they wanted me to make sure the class was going okay. I ended up being way more into it than my brother. I did competitions; I’ve flown to Japan to compete in the worldwide championships as well. I ended at a brown striped belt but then went off to college.

So you had to get back into high gear for the role.
Yes, it had been years; I lost a lot of the right kind of muscles. David really focused on the actors doing their own stunts because he wanted to create reality, and that’s the best way to do it. So we had a month and a half of preproduction [to train]. For me, I did sword fighting, martial arts, and fitness, but all of the training worked together. I would do the right kind of weight lifting so that I could lift the sword—and sword fighting is actually a lot of core.

Who did you train with?
I did martial arts with David’s old friend Richard Mesquita. And I got to work with Guy Norris, the second unit director, and Richard Norton, the fight coordinator—they worked on Mad Max: Fury Road. They’re the best in the industry for stunt work. By the end of it, I was able to do everything except for one dive roll. We had my lovely stunt double do that one. Margot does an amazing job playing Harley Quinn. She did all those stunts in heels!

Was the training one-on-one?
No, group. We all did rehearsals and training together. The rehearsals were more about an emotional connection, sharing stories and opening up to each other. But I personally think that the physical training bonded us as well because you’re punching each other; you’re stepping over personal spaces and boundaries. Humans don’t really have that kind of interaction nowadays, especially with technology—everyone’s behind a screen.

Did you pay just as much attention to your diet?
Well, I love food and I love carbs: Pasta, rice—that’s my thing. But for the movie, a lot of your physicality comes from not only training but your diet, too. I ate a lot of quinoa, greens, chicken breast. There wasn’t a nutritionist, but we did have meals that were specifically made for us.

Given that you wear a mask, what was your hair and makeup like?
They did a whole mold of my face, so the mask fit perfectly. I did sweat a lot during all the action scenes, and it would start sliding off; sometimes we’d put tape underneath to make sure it would stay. We used Dax Wax for my hair, and then for makeup, the most important feature was her scars. She has battle scars all over her body.

What was your skin-care regimen during filming?
I actually am very hands-off on my face. I like to use oil to take everything off, and then I cleanse after. I really like products from SK-II. My go-to when I feel gunky is the Clarisonic, but I don’t do that every day.

How about that Dax Wax?
It wouldn’t come out for a week! But we did reshoots in L.A. this year, and I found out about this Moroccanoil shampoo that essentially strips away all the product. Then the next day, it was completely clean—though you do need a good conditioner after.

Now that filming is behind you, what’s your fitness routine like?
I try to go to the gym. I either go on the rower or watch a TV show on the treadmill, and then I do some weight lifting. Having a trainer changes your life, it really does. I want to get back into that groove. And I just got back to the same karate dojo that I used to do in high school. Right now, the little kids are doing way better than I am!

What do they think about you being in the movie?
You know, I didn’t tell them. I just got an email from my sensei—my instructor—and he said, “I had no idea you were in this film!” I want to keep my private life kind of away from that, but it’s impossible with a movie like Suicide Squad. It’s everywhere!