Jennifer Morrison Video Interview On ‘Warrior,’ Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton

Jennifer Morrison, the former House star and current star of ABC’s new fantasy series Once Upon a Time which premieres in October, stars in the martial arts action flick Warrior. In the film, which also stars Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte, Morrison plays Tess the wife of Brendan (Edgerton) who is a high school teacher and former UFC fighter who goes back into the ring to help support his family.

In real life, Morrison is a huge fan of martial arts. When asked if she was interested in martial arts before the film, Morrison responds, “I was, actually. Friends of mine have always been into it and had fight nights. I think I started going about a year before I even read the script for Warrior. So, I was definitely familiar with that world and into it and excited by it. Then, when I got the script, I was blown away, because I was like, “Oh my gosh, this really captures this world in a very cool way.” Morrison also does boxing for training, though she admits, “I can’t imagine being able to survive a real fight.”

Working with Edgerton was a treat for Morrison. “… working with Joel Edgerton is just incredible. He’s just such a joy to work with. He’s so open and he’s so generous and every take is always different in a wonderful way. You feel like you can just sort of let go and just exist with this person. So, he made my job very easy.” And they seemed to have found something that clicked, as critics point to chemistry between the two actors as one of the highlights of the film.

Find out more of what Jennifer Morrison has to say (including if she may make a guest appearance on the last season of House) in our exclusive interview.

Q: Were you interested in mixed martial arts before the movie?

A: I was, actually. Friends of mine have always been into it and had fight nights. I think I started going about a year before I even read the script for Warrior. So, I was definitely familiar with that world and into it and excited by it. Then, when I got the script, I was blown away, because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this really captures this world in a very cool way.’ And obviously, I’ve now gotten to know that world so much better having worked on it and I’m definitely a fan. For fitness, I started boxing just for training. It’s an incredible workout. You burn, like, 1,000 calories in an hour, supposedly. But I’ve never been hit back, so I can only imagine I can’t imagine being able to survive a real fight. But, I definitely do understand it from the skill and the strategy side of things and the physical prowess of being able to just sustain yourself in the ring for that many rounds.

Q: Do you have a memory that stands out for you, working with Joel Edgerton in the movie?

A: That scene when he sort of admits that he’s been fighting in the bathroom. For some reason, that scene always turns out as being a very memorable scene for us to shoot. I felt like it was such a pivotal turning point for a lot of stuff going on in the marriage. We had a lot of discussions about that scene and realizing that, really, what was upsetting to her at the moment wasn’t so much that he was fighting, but that he had been lying to her. That was not something that was normally going on within their marriage. I definitely felt like that was a scene that will always stand out as being sort of a special scene to shoot. But working with Joel Edgerton is just incredible. He’s just such a joy to work with. He’s so open and he’s so generous and every take is always different in a wonderful way. You feel like you can just sort of let go and just exist with this person. So, he made my job very easy.

Q: What’s next for you? Will you return to House for a guest appearance?

A: You know, I have no idea. There’s been all these rumors, I guess, this year that that was gonna happen, but I have not been contacted by anyone over there. They no longer have a contract with me. So, I would more than happy to go back and do a couple of episodes. It’s a show that changed my life in the most amazing ways and I love playing that character and I love working with all those actors. So, I certainly would be open to it, but I don’t know if that fits in the storytelling that they have in mind. There’s really no way for me to know.

Q: I heard that you were one of the people to discover Glee. How did that happen?

A: I was really just a part of connecting the dots early on. Ian Brennen, who wrote the original film script, went to high school with me and I always had known that he was a great writer. He’s been writing stuff since high school. At the time, Mike Novic and I were shopping around another script and we read Ian’s script and just fell in love with it. We were like, ‘Do you mind if we just take this out?’ Ian was like, ‘It’s been sitting in my closet, so, yeah, please. Go for it!’ So, we started shopping it around and then, when Ryan Murphy read it, he called and was like, ‘Have you guys ever considered turning this into a television show?’ We said, ‘Well, we have to talk to Ian. It’s his material.’ Once he was on board, and then he and Ryan were connected, it was sort of no stopping it from that point.

For more on Jennifer Morrison:

Jennifer Morrison Wears Donna Karan To Tribeca Premiere Of ‘Knife Fight’

‘House’ Series Finale Keeps Fans Guessing Up To The Bitter End

RECAP: ‘Once Upon A Time’ Spins Fairy Tale Gold

House’s Jesse Spencer Hits The Waves