Krysten Ritter: Fitness Q&A

Fresh off her smash-hit Netflix TV series Jessica Jones, the former Breaking Bad star chats about what it took to become the Marvel action heroine.

On Jessica Jones

I really, really love this character. I was very involved with her look and physicality; how I needed to feel in order to inhabit her. I wanted to be strong, and I wanted to be able to punch. And with her clothes – her clothes live on the floor. She doesn’t have any money, so I wanted her to feel really authentic. She’s a real person who also happens to have these super powers.

One-Hit Wonder

With my training, I got really good at punching and I’ve got a nifty right hook now. At first I had no idea what I was doing and I was like: “What do I do with my thumbs? How far should my feet be apart?” I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the training and stunts – and how quickly it all came to me.

Fueling Up The Right Way

I’m big on juicing – all greens. Luckily, I don’t have a sweet tooth, so I’m more into kale, cucumber, spinach, parsley and celery. I’ve also cut out gluten, dairy and fish for the most part, and I’ve felt so much healthier and better since. Jessica Jones was an eight-month shoot so I needed the energy and my health to be on point. Also, with this. I increased my clean proteins with the working out.

Cross-Training

With my training, it involved a lot of running, hiking, yoga, boxing, weight circuits and bodyweight exercises. My push-up game has improved dramatically. Working out and getting into the condition I was in was really empowering for me.

Perfect Timing

With the physicality, I’d go hard at the gym for 90 minutes a day, so I could endure the stunts and schedule, and to make myself strong. The shooting schedule was intense and the stunts weren’t like anything I’ve ever done before, so I worked my butt off.

Finding Her Spark

I wanted to put the work in because I wanted this part so badly. Jessica Jones gives me an opportunity to do everything, all in one role. She’s so strong and complex, so three-dimensional, so well-developed and so real. I definitely saw what can be achieved when you put in work consistently.

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