“No Time To Die” will introduce Nomi – a tough 00-agent making it hard for Bond to keep up. Young German stunt woman Marie Mouroum did most of her action scenes. In our interview she talks about filming, Bond and women in power.
Meeting Marie means going to the gym. The 28 years old woman is always training, throwing kicks at punchbags or sparring with a partner. On a rainy autumn day she works out at a small gym in a Berlin back alley, cramped up between a Turkish bath and a Karaoke bar. She and a colleague are the only ones early this morning.
Her friend, also a stunt performer, holds up boxing mitts. Marie throws her right fight at him, followed by her left and then pulls her right knee high up in the air, close to his chin. He stumbles a bit, nods. That was a good combo. “Again”, he says. So Marie kicks again. And again, and again.
It’s those routines, that made her become one of Hollywoods hottest newcomers in the stunt world. Practicing since childhood, Marie Mouroum is now the one you call, when you need a strong woman to kick ass in a blockbuster movie. She doubled for Halle Berry in “Cloud Atlas”, was in “Star Wars” and “The Hunger Games” and played a Dora Milaje in “Black Panther” and the “Avenger”-movies. Now “No Time To Die” is her next big movie.
Marie, you will be the stunt double of Lashana Lynchs character Nomi in “No Time To Die”.
Yes, right. Many believed, I was booked for Naomie Harris, who plays Moneypenny. But I actually got to double the female lead, which made me really proud.
And that probably meant a lot more work! Talk us through: What does it mean to do stunts as a 00-agent?
It means months of practice and really challenging hard work. We filmed for more than 8 months, I was on location at Jamaica, I filmed in a different place in Italy and Scotland, pinewood studios in London. The stunt crew practices the moves for several weeks. Then we show our results to the director and he decides, if it fits.
For Bond, I had to learn how to move like a secret agent.
Marie Mouroum
You do martial arts since you were a child. Did that help?
Its always a great base to have. As a stunt performer you learn something new with every movie you make. Sure, I did a lot of kicks and fights, but for Bond, I also had to learn how to move like a secret agent. Never had to do that before.
What’s so special about it?
Well, I mean you have to jump and run sometimes with special forces gear on and sometimes have your weapon at hand. It’s these kind of tactical movements, that any soldier knows by heart, but a normal person doesn’t.
Is the stunt team on it’s own or is there a genuine exchange with the actors?
There is a lot of exchange! Lashana Lynch and I got along really good and friendly. We made jokes all the time, at some point we really had to take care not to giggle all the time.
But a good chemistry is essential: In the final cut, scenes where the actors play and the stunt people do their jobs, are put together as one. If I don’t know, what kind of emotions Lashana is portraying in that scene or if she can’t built up on my moves, the audience would see that something is off.
That means, you know all the plot details of “No Time To Die”!?
My lips are sealed.
When I was a kid, the only real role models for girls were mostly blonde princesses, the typical damsel in distress.
Marie Mouroum
Some Bond fans had trouble seeing a young, black woman stepping up as a 00-agent. We see it as a positive development to challenge clichés and the way we look at society. What do you think of it?
I agree. When I was a kid, the only real role models for girls were mostly blonde princesses, the typical damsel in distress. Now you have warrior queens and black superheroes.
You previously worked on “Star Wars”, “Hunger Games” and most and for all as a Dora Milaje in “Black Panther”, “Infinity War” and “Endgame”. Strong black characters seem to increase in Hollywood. Why is that important?
It’s about representation. You don’t get cast only as cliche roles such as dancers, drug dealers or goons anymore. They can be lawyers, teachers – or secret agents – as well. When I walk into a toy store, action figures now have all colours and genders! That gives kids a lot of self esteem. As a child I didn’t learn much about my heritage in school. I was always proud of my African background but it was very difficult researching about it and searching for representation in the media.
So what’s your part in this?
I don’t believe, I have to be a teacher and educate people about racism or identity. Everybody should research on their own if they’re interested on his or her own to learn more about diversity. But I realized, that my work alone helps others to feel valued. Girls write me a lot how they liked my performance in “Black Panther” and the “Avenger” movies.
Comparing the stunt work for Bond and the comic universe of the Avengers: What is more challenging?
It really is different. For the “Avengers” we were filming in front of huge green screens. You do realize that you fought a giant alien only after you see the finished movie. As a stunt performer you need a lot of imagination and fantasy. Now Bond in contrast is more out on real locations, so there is less CGI involved to create a world. The film crew really traveled to the most beautiful places around the world which was an amazing experience. But thats also what working on Bond is known for. You will get to travel the world and see beautiful places.
Are there stunts you rather not do?
I don’t like stunts that are dependent to much on other forces. Thats why I am not a fan of underwater or fire stunts. I am also very unrelaxed when it comes to stunts around and on horses. I prefer stunts where you have to concentrate on controlling your own body such as martial arts, fight scenes, wire work and body stunts like falls.
Now the question is, if you had some of those underwater or fire stunts to do in “No Time To Die”?
Ha, I wont tell! If you want to find out, you have to go see the movie!
Packing up her stuff after a hard training session, Marie goes down to her car. The rain increased, she has to rush. Stuffing her training bag into the trunk, she scrabbles a bit to make room. Suddenly a pair of leather gloves appear.
They are part of Nomi’s tactical uniform from the actual “No Time To Die” set. Lashana Lynch and Marie Mouroum both had to wear identical ones – and kept them after filming. Wherever Marie drives, she now has a bit of Bond with her.