Fortress – Since she was a child, actor Kelly Greyson always loved to appear in front of a camera; however, she admits to being incredibly shy back then. Her older brother, who had experience in theatre, always cast her in plays that he was involved with. And as a result of those frequent onstage appearances, Kelly managed to overcome her shyness and her early fear of the camera, and realized her talent to perform.
For her latest role, as the mysterious double agent Katie in the recently-released cyber thriller “Fortress”, Kelly does something fearless that not many actors would do on a movie set: she performed her own stunts.
“The stunts I did on Fortress were not very intense, but they were full of action, and I love action,” said Kelly during a recent phone interview. “I enjoy athletics, and doing my own stunts on the film was like meeting up the next challenge for my career, and it’s fun to bring out that part of my life towards working as an actor.”
“There was a lot to learn when attempting the stunts, and the stunt coordinators were very supportive, they used every spare second between takes to make sure that I understood every move. And that helped me to become a more well-rounded, well versed actor,” she added.
And Kelly has what it takes physically to be a budding stunt person. A lifelong devotee to physical fitness and health, she enjoys participating in a wide variety of physical and sports-related activities, such as horseback riding, scuba diving, swordplay, track and field, snow and water skiing, football and rock climbing, to name a few.
“Fortress” is the first of a three-part movie trilogy that is being released by Lionsgate Films. It stars Bruce Willis, Jesse Metcalfe, Chad Michael Murray and Shannen Doherty. The plot involves Robert (played by Willis), a former CIA agent who is living in a secret fortress-type resort located deep in the woods. However, expecting some tranquility at the fortress, he encounters a group of revenge seeking mercenaries that are led by his longtime nemesis Balzary (Murray).
“We filmed the first two Fortress movies back to back in a few weeks; basically, we shot a huge film in a very short time, so there was a squeeze on every aspect of making the movies,” said Kelly. “It also had its share of challenges, and there was a lot of pressure involved. For example, there was the mental challenge of memorizing a long piece of dialogue, and then it goes through a series of changes before you get on the set, which in a way, it’s like reinventing the scene. But you always have to be flexible to meet those challenges.”
And what about working with Bruce Willis, who made his reputation as an action movie hero thanks to the Die Hard movies? “Working with Bruce was an amazing experience. He’s an intricate, layered person, as well as caring, giving and genuine. He certainly knows how to create the right kind of energy in the moment,” she said.
Kelly’s life off screen includes a devoting a great amount of time, dedication and service to a number of charitable causes, many of them focused on children at risk. That includes organizations that fight human trafficking, care for orphans around the world, and promote freedom to practice one’s religion. She also works with Gemini Systems, an organization that is dedicated to the cause of children with learning disabilities.
With that in mind, Kelly is about to launch her own nonprofit organization within the next couple of months. “It will be dedicated to helping people who have experienced their own share of heartaches, and offer the kind of healing that can change someone’s life,” she said. “We will show how much value an individual has, and inspire that individual to how significant their value is. And when you lend a helping hand to a person, you can change the world for the better. And that is very important, because these days, society has a tendency to underestimate the impact one soul can have upon the world.”
“Fortress” is now available on digital, DVD and Blu-Ray. The second movie in the trilogy will be released sometime in 2022.
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