The fan response to "Stick It" has been amazing. I didn't realize how popular gymnastics is, since I was never involved as a kid. I'm happy that the movie turned out as well as it did and that people really enjoyed it. I thought it was a great story line and was happy to prove that women don’t always have to play the "romantic" part to be a lead. There are so many movies and scripts where the girl is just the girlfriend, so this was refreshing. Plus, as much as we like boys, there's a lot more going on in our lives, and it was nice to focus on a different area.
I had to train for four months prior to filming and continued to practice throughout shooting. It was the only way to remain strong and flexible enough to perform for the movie. It was incredibly difficult. The discipline to remain focused and push through the pain was intense. I had to learn to shut my brain off to outside thoughts and habits (like complaining, haha) so that I could achieve my goals. I have so much respect for gymnasts and commend them on their ability to compete in such a high-pressure environment.
I loved working for Jessica Bendinger (writer and director); while she knew what she wanted to accomplish, she gave us the room to be creative. I truly admire her passion for her projects and her desire to make a difference in the lives of women. It doesn't hurt that she's ridiculously funny.
I'm a lot like my character, Haley. We can both be very sarcastic and had issues growing up. I found I was judged a lot for being a pastor's daughter. In certain areas, I rebelled because I was sick and tired of feeling forced to be someone I wasn't, but realized that it didn't get me anywhere. I learned to just be who I am and be proud of that. By the way, I'm still working on that.
