Actress Elizabeth Mathis is starring in the sequel to the popular 2002 hit Blue Crush. Viewers may remember the sexy starlet from box office hits like Tron:Legacy, Unstoppable, I think I Love My Wife and Enchanted. In Blue Crush 2, set to be released on DVD, Mathis plays a killer surfer who ignores her father’s wishes for attending college, and instead heads for South Africa. Surfing is everything there, in her deceased mother’s homeland. Mathis talked to rolling out about the movie, her love for fashion and her mentors along the way.
What’s makes you stand out from other actors?
For me, I don’t view my career as a competition with other actors in the industry. Instead I focus on building on my talents and always staying true to who I am. My mom always taught me that your toughest competition will always be yourself. So I am always trying to improve and become a better person as well as actor.
You play a great role as Dana Sasha Jackson in the movie Blue Crush 2. How did you prepare for the role?
There were two aspects of Pushy’s life that were very new to me — surfing and her South African accent. I worked really hard on both. We had an intense boot camp for about three weeks prior to shooting that included surf lessons, yoga classes, dance lessons, breathing techniques, etc. It proved to be so important when we started filming in the water and it helped us become more authentic surfers. I also had an extra two hours a day after shooting with a dialect coach to make Pushy’s accent real and true to her story as a young girl raised in rural South Africa, but [who] now lives with an international group of surfers. It’s funny … she uses terms that are true to where she is from, and also mixes in slang from the surf family she now lives with.
Where do you like to shop and who are your favorite designers?
I love fashion. I have a modeling background, so I have always appreciated clothes and I see the fashion industry as another form of art. I love so many designers … Doo Ri, Rag & Bone and Phillip Lim.
When you were growing up did you look to mentors to help you with your acting career? Who would you love to shadow for a month?
I have had so many great mentors along the way in general, not necessarily in acting, but in life. I am constantly inspired by strong, intelligent women. I would love to shadow Oprah and see how she does it all. She is so multi-talented. I would also love to see Meryl Streep and Halle Berry in action. I am a huge fan of theirs.
So far in your life what can you say has been your biggest accomplishment and what has been your greatest challenge?
There are so many things that I could list … but, I am most proud of the things that are intangible, like my relationships with the people I love the most. Having that foundation is so key in this business. My greatest challenge is to continue pushing myself. Sometimes hard work and commitment is not easy, but the payoffs can be very rewarding.
