The Real Reason Shadow And Bones Star Amita Suman Got Fit For Her Role
Actress Anita Suman may be starring in one of the biggest series of the moment, but it wasn't until she landed "Shadow and Bone" that people took notice of her talent.
Suman began her career training at The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in the United Kingdom. While in drama school she booked small parts in the series "Casualty" and Ackley Bridge," (via IMBb). After graduating, the Nepalese actress appeared on the critically acclaimed "Doctor Who" and had an 11-episode character arc on the CW fantasy drama "The Outpost" in 2019.
Just two years later, Suman is starring in the Netflix original series "Shadow and Bone." The fantasy series is based on the beloved Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. As of right now, the series is No. 2 in the U.S. Today according to Netflix. The streaming giant also reportedly plans to continue the series until Season 4 and is open to extending it even further, (via We Got This Covered). The young actor plays the character Inej Ghafa, who she describes as "a badass woman of color in an epic fantasy drama," (via Vogue).
Anita went to the gym for the first time in her life
Inej Ghafta is a knife-wielding assassin with a conscience. Amita Suman told Vogue, "She's a spy in the Dregs, which are a group of thieves and thugs in Ketterdam, a fictional place in the Grishaverse. She's had a traumatic past of sexual abuse and she becomes the most feared assassin in her country. We are clearly different people, but what is nice is that she is incredibly strong and gifted."
To prepare to play such a fierce assassin, Suman knew she needed to physically transform her body for the role. Unfortunately for her trainer, the young actress had never been to a gym before beginning her preparation for "Shadow and Bone." Suman shared, "I knew I could not be Inej if I didn't have the strength, stamina or the body that she has. So I went to the gym a lot and worked on my fitness. For the first time in my life, I had abs."
The actress also needed to work on her knife-wielding skills. Though she surprisingly didn't require professional coaching to strengthen her abilities. Suman explained, "I was just given the knife to play around with every single day, to learn what it felt like, how it moved, the weight, the sharpness, how to use it." Judging by Suman's performance in the first season, it's clear that all of the hard work she put into transforming into Inej physically and mentally paid off.