Elisabeth Caren/Contour by Getty Images.
October 07, 2015
In The Mix

Kickin’ It

Perseverance pays off for Jaimie Alexander.

Michele Shapiro

Jaimie Alexander’s first stab at acting didn’t go so well.

“I was kicked out of my high-school drama program for not knowing how to sing,” recalls the costar of NBC’s new adrenaline-fueled thriller, Blindspot.

Rather than throw in the towel, Alexander — who grew up with four older brothers in Grapevine, Texas — did what any plucky teen would do: she started a female wrestling team, earning the respect of her sibs while pinning girls to the ground.

The training would come in handy for her future as an action star, first as super heroine Jessi in the ABC Family series Kyle XY and later as Sif in the Marvel Comics–based films Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013).

“Wrestling taught me great discipline and perseverance,” she says, “which has definitely come into handy given the roles I play.”

Blindspot’s Jane Doe is no exception. Shortly after she is pulled naked from a duffel bag in Times Square, Jane — who’s suffering from memory loss — springs into action, kicking the daylights out of every thug she encounters.

“I pretty much learn the fight sequences on the fly the day we film them,” Alexander admits. She credits her longtime stunt double, Ky Furneaux, with keeping her in fighting form.

On days off, Alexander can often be found running along Manhattan’s East River (the series shoots in New York) or face down on a massage table. “Ky and I take quite a beating during the week, so it’s important to use my time off to reset.”

Alexander’s character has as many secrets as she does fight skills. The series delivers equal parts action and suspense as FBI agent Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton) attempts to decipher the clues inked on every inch of Jane’s sinuous body.

The actress herself is no stranger to tattoos. “I have nine of my own,” she says.

Could she design one to describe her current life? Alexander’s answer is as cryptic as Jane Doe’s body art: “It would have puzzle pieces flowing downward and coming together at the base.”

Like the FBI agents on Blindspot, you’ll have to figure that one out for yourself.

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