‘Cowboy Bebop’ Star Daniella Pineda Compares Training With the ‘John Wick’ Stunt Team to Previous Workouts: ‘This Is Not Even in the Same Stratosphere’
Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop has elicited mixed reactions from fans, but many are agreeing on one thing: the main cast members are well suited for their roles. That includes Daniella Pineda, who brings the anime’s Faye Valentine to life. And Pineda’s character holds her own against her fellow crew members and the criminals they go toe to toe with. Apparently, the actor had to undergo some pretty rigorous training to get there. Luckily, she had the John Wick stunt team to help.
Daniella Pineda plays Faye Valentine in Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’
Netflix cast Daniella Pineda to play Cowboy Bebop‘s Faye Valentine, and although it made minor changes to the character, she remains a force to be reckoned with in the live-action adaptation. She regularly fights side by side with Spike (John Cho) and Jet (Mustafa Shakir), often one-upping them and their enemies.
And with the three bounty hunters constantly getting pulled into trouble, Pineda had to prepare for action scenes. That required some extensive training. Fortunately, she worked with the John Wick stunt team, none of whom are strangers to portraying combat on-screen. Their talents shine through in the Netflix series. But according to Pineda, her regimen was no walk in the park.
The ‘Cowboy Bebop’ star trained with the ‘John Wick’ stunt team
During a recent interview with Deadline, Pineda recalled her experience working with the John Wick stunt team. She’d never trained for a role before, and her first time proved a challenge. With the help of 87eleven, she learned all kinds of new moves. According to the Cowboy Bebop star, it was leagues beyond any workout she’d ever done:
“It was my first time training for a part. I’ve always liked to workout, but this is not even in the same stratosphere. I started training in Los Angeles with the 87eleven, which is the John Wick stunt team, and that was just so intense. Then we joined Allan Poppleton our head of stunts, who’s incredible. We did rolls. We did sword fighting.”
The group also taught her skills used in hand-to-hand combat. Despite the difficulty of her training regimen, Pineda admits the experience “was really rewarding and intense.”
“I have this whole new respect for people who do action film,” she told Deadline. “Thank god for my stunt double, Jayde Rutene.”
Watch Daniella Pineda in Netflix’s ‘Cowboy Bebop’
Cowboy Bebop fans can catch the final product of Pineda’s training in the live-action series, where there’s no shortage of awesome Faye moments. Whether she’s dealing with her past, trying to land a bounty, or saving her crewmates, Pineda’s character shines as much as she did in the anime. Viewers have both the actor and her stunt team to thank for that.
The live-action Cowboy Bebop is currently streaming on Netflix.
