Ryan Bader has been opening up about his experience working alongside Emily Blunt in the upcoming A24 film The Smashing Machine.
In a new chat with Us Weekly, the former Bellator World Heavyweight Champion and UFC fighter revealed that Blunt’s curiosity and dedication stood out from day one.
“We’d be sitting around [on set], and she’d be asking questions for hours,” Bader shared of Blunt’s preparation.
“The first time I met [Blunt and Johnson] was on a camera test and she came in,” he added.
“I’m nobody on set and she came and tapped me on the shoulder, gave me a big hug and was like, ‘We’re so grateful to have you here. Somebody who knows what they’re doing on the MMA side of this.’”
It is noteworthy that Bader portrays MMA pioneer Mark Coleman in the film alongside Dwayne Johnson, who stars as legendary fighter Mark Kerr. On the other hand, Blunt takes on the role of Kerr’s then-girlfriend Dawn Staples.
“Every time we’re on set, she’s asking questions. But she was really getting into the character and what it would be like in 1999 in an MMA community,” Bader added.
“She was amazing,” he remarked in conclusion.
