Warrior Woman

Real-life wonder woman and elite CrossFit competitor Brooke Ence talks about her trifecta role as an athlete, actress and motivator.

 

- Lara McGlashan, MFA, CPT

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY that a big-name director envisions a superhero battle scene starring you — and only you — front and center, kicking ass and taking names. It’s also unusual for said bigwig to seek you out, follow you on social media, then have his “people” call you to audition.

When Brooke Ence got that call from Warner Bros., she was a few weeks out from the 2015 CrossFit Games, her rookie debut. Zack Snyder — a director known for blockbuster comic-book and superhero films such as 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice — his people said, wanted her to audition for his next movie. So Ence arrived in Los Angeles for the Games, signed in, then trekked across town to Warner Bros. Studio.

She interviewed and auditioned for the film -having no idea yet what is called or what she would be doing (Hollywood and their secrets...) - then, flying high on possibility, Ence sailed back to the Games, where she deftly won two events and ended up 14th in the world in her first time ever competing.

The Absolute Amazon

As it turns out, Snyder was correct — Ence was the perfect fit for his vision: She is a professional dancer, a seasoned performer, a skilled equestrian and an ace with a crossbow, all necessary superheroine skills. And, of course, there is her physique — a blend of strength and femininity that makes her stand out among a casting-call lineup of hundreds of athletic blondes.

Ence would play the Amazon warrior Penthiselea in both Wonder Woman and the subsequent Justice League, and she was quickly whisked off to Italy for filming, where she was thrilled to ride horses and wield hammers and smash pillars and props all day long.