Sienna Miller on playing Baroness in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

You are known for your emotional dramas, but in G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra you play a villain...

That’s very true, I play the villainous Baroness one of the deadliest members of the Cobra gang. I will be seen as Baroness clad in her trademark black leather outfit with jet black long hair and black rimmed glasses.

So did you feel out of place doing a large scale action film?

There was a crew of a thousand and I was used to movies with more of an independent vibe. It was completely out of my comfort zone. I’ve never done anything on this scale. But once I let go of my anxiety, I really enjoyed it. But initially I was very terrified.

Was playing Baroness very demanding?

Yes, the role was as demanding physically as my past roles have been emotionally. To prepare for the role, I had to hit the gym, spend six weeks doing choreographed fight training with the top-notch fight coordinator team that worked on The Matrix, and learn how to shoot a gun.

So now you can actually shoot a gun?

Of course yes, I can fire a rifle now. But I must admit I blink and tend to make a childish shooting sound with each shot.

Did you ever injure yourself while shooting?

Yeah, I suffered a couple of small injuries on the set. I got a minor burn after running into an explosion at the wrong time, and had to go to the hospital with a swollen hand after I slipped on a rubber bullet.

So, are you prone to accidents?

I had to fight in six-inch heels, so it was a precarious situation to begin with. But I guess it’s more of my general klutziness, I think. I can have some form of mild accident just walking down the street.

What made you take up this movie?

Normally it’s not the kind of thing I would have done, but then I read the script and found it had really well developed characters, a great villain in my role and it’s a great story. Plus it’s great to do a movie that people actually want to see.

Are you still maintaining your fitness regime?

I had high hopes of keeping up with my new fitness regime after the movie wrapped, but that has not happened. It’s hard as I am flying between all these time zones and then I make up excuses when I’m jet lagged or tired. I talk myself out of things quite easily.

What are your future plans?

I will be making my Broadway debut in After Miss Julie, playwright Patrick Marber’s take on a 19th-century August Strindberg classic. I will also appear in the upcoming movie Hippie Hippie Shake.

Any chance of more high-octane action movies in future?

Hopefully, if this does well, there will be a G.I. Joe 2 and 3.