The casting team behind The Fast and the Furious saw something in Jordana Brewster that didn’t match the gritty underworld of Los Angeles street racing. The actress, fresh from an Upper East Side upbringing and an Ivy League education, needed to be “roughed up” to become Mia Toretto. Twenty-five years later, how that transformation happened is finally revealed.
Jordana Brewster needed to be roughed up for Mia Toretto in The Fast and the Furious
When Jordana Brewster first landed the role, a problem was immediately flagged. “I got a call being like, we need to rough you up, because I was like, girl from Upper East Side going to Yale, and they’re like, that’s not going to…” she told Variety. Director Rob Cohen intervened directly. He sent her to Las Vegas for driving school and gave other instructions. Brewster added, “I feel like I did a pretty good job.”
The transformation worked. Brewster played Mia Toretto opposite Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the 2001 original. She didn’t even hold a driver’s license when production began. Brewster took lessons during filming, then stepped away from acting to complete her English degree at Yale, graduating in 2003.
When she returned for the fourth installment in 2009, the character had evolved significantly. Brewster explained at the time, “In the first one I’m more of a wallflower and it’s much more of a girlfriend-type role, but in [the new movie] I’m more of a woman. She’s far more tough (via AskMen.com).”
Universal is celebrating the franchise’s 25th anniversary through theatrical rereleases and special events. Now, the attention turns to the upcoming 11th film. Brewster already has ideas for expanding the universe through television, proposing a series following Mia and Brian’s children. “I so admire the Taylor Sheridan universe, so I feel like we can really do that with television too,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. Brewster added she’d love to explore “what hell it is to raise kids that have Mia’s genes, Brian’s genes and Dom’s genes.”
Jordana Brewster confirmed she has spoken with Diesel about Fast Forever, though she hasn’t read the script. Her hope is that the story returns to Los Angeles.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu for Coming Soon.
