Kruger shares how Chastain made sure all the actresses got 'paid the same' on the action film.
Diane Kruger couldn't have asked for a better working experience on The 355.
The actress opened up about her desire to work with more female co-stars, and how Jessica Chastain made sure she and the rest of the leading ladies got "paid the same" for the action film.
"It felt great to work with girls, and there was no weirdness on-set. Jessica made sure all of the actresses were paid the same; we all own a piece of the movie," Kruger, 45, tells Women's Health in their January/February issue about producer and co-star Chastain. "Regardless of how the film does, it was one of the most complete experiences. Being able to be heard and valued is so important—not just in what I do, but everywhere."
The 355 also stars Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, and Fan Bingbing. The movie sees four rival agents -- American CIA agent Mason "Mace" Brown (Chastain), German operative Marie (Kruger), MI6 computer specialist Khadijah (Nyong'o) and Colombian psychologist Graciela (Cruz) -- join forces to track down a mercenary, recover a top-secret weapon and stop World War 3. Fan is the mysterious fifth player, Chinese intelligence officer Lin Mi Sheng.
"One thing that was wonderful about this film was that many of us were mothers. We were allowed to bring our children to set and had a trailer for the kids," Kruger adds. "That was a lovely thing, where you can sense that the producer is a woman with a child."
Kruger, who welcomed her daughter with Norman Reedus in November of 2018, adds how "everything changed with motherhood," noting that "it’s such a cliché, but it’s true." "The way I look at work is different. I love to work; in fact, I cherish it more today than I did before, but at the same time, you look at everything from a different angle," she explains. "It’s not: What’s it going to do for my career? It’s more about: Could it fit into my schedule? How can I make it work? Is it going to be worthwhile?"
She also reveals that at six months postpartum she started training for the film -- and loved every minute of it.
"It was daunting. But after six months of being a full-time mom, I was ready to get back to me, and to get out of the house," she recalls. "It was fun to have a few hours away each day to focus on my body and my work. It was exhilarating to go back to working out -- to lifting heavy, kicking higher, and trusting my body."
As for the stunts and action sequences, she adds that "Jessica really wanted to make it closer to a Bourne franchise. She and the director, Simon Kinberg, wanted the stunts to be just as fierce as a man would make them, without making a big deal out of it."
For more on Kruger, see below. The 355 arrives in theaters Jan. 7.
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