One of the most enduring — and definitely one of the most alluring — stars of the testosterone-fueled, hugely successful “Fast and Furious” film series has ramped up excitement within its fan base.
“We’ve all got our followings,” quips the 32-year-old actress, whose career has been rolling along thanks to her association with the “FF” franchise.
“But let’s face it, the cars are the stars. They’re relatable — they’re hot, and they’re cool.”
The same could be said of Brewster. In the latest installment, “Fast & Furious 6,” opening today, she rejoins fellow series vets Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson to blow up, run over and plow through armies, cartels and cops as the pedal-crunching special forces team tries to take down a rival gang that’s stolen a computer chip in London that threatens the safety of millions.
In 2011, “Fast Five” added Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who’s also back for more, as is Michelle Rodriguez, whose Leticia “Letty” Ortiz was (apparently) killed off in the fourth film in the series, 2009’s “Fast & Furious.”
“I was thrilled to see her come back, but one thing I can say about Michelle is she doesn’t pull any punches,” says Brewster of her fellow “FF” hottie.
“She came back on set and just ripped everybody down the line when we greeted her. She called Paul a ‘Big Barbie’ and me something like ‘Miss Prissy.’ What you see when she’s pounding someone on camera is what you get everywhere — minus the violence, of course.“
The action onscreen, however, gets amped up with each new installment, and the box office has gotten bigger with each entry. The franchise has grossed $625 million to date at the U.S. box office.
“They raise the stakes in every film and don’t take the audience for granted,” says Brewster, who’s been in four of them now.
“That’s why they’re so successful. The audience gets something that’s bigger and more exciting with each movie. But while the cars get faster, the crashes get louder and the locations get cooler, our gang’s sense of family and loyalty is never lost. The audience relates to that.”
Surprisingly, that audience is as much female as male.
“We have plenty of female fans,” says Brewster. “They love watching other women kick some butt. And let’s face it … with Vin, Paul and Tyrese there’s also a lot of delicious eye candy!”
Only Diesel and Walker have logged more “Furious” miles than Brewster. But she didn’t even know how to drive when she first climbed aboard for the original 2001 “The Fast and the Furious.” “I was terrified of driving,” says the actress, who was born in Panama but moved to Manhattan with her family at age 10.
“I’m from the upper East Side — I took the subway growing up! I didn’t even have a license.”
And now, after gunning her engines onscreen?
“Now I’m a real leadfoot.”
So much, in fact, that Brewster — whose credits also include “The Texas Chainsaw massacre; The Beginning” and TV’s new “Dallas” — says she’s developed reputation on the freeways in Los Angeles, where she now lives.
“I’ve gotten pulled over,” she admits. “I did let the officer know that I was in ‘Furious,’ but he wasn’t buying it. Paul’s gotten away with it, though. I guess we need to make more movies just so the police see how we girls can drive in them!”
