*In the new Lionsgate film, “Shadow Force,” Kerry Washington trades in her power suits for tactical gear—and trust, she doesn’t miss a beat. Directed by Joe Carnahan, the high-stakes action thriller stars Washington as Kyrah, a former elite operative turned fugitive mom. Alongside Omar Sy as her partner Isaac, the two must protect their son from a ruthless kill order issued by the very force they once led.
EUR talked exclusively with Washington about the role, weapons training and how she slid in Omar Sy’s DM’s.
“I just threw myself into it with as much commitment and fearlessness as possible,” Washington told me during our sit-down interview. “It was really fun to dive into this new world of weapons training and action. People don’t realize the amount of hours it takes just to be able to put a weapon together and take it apart without looking, like it’s second nature.”
And Washington means that literally. There’s a pivotal moment in Shadow Force where Kyrah assembles a weapon with speed and precision—it’s the kind of detail that reminds audiences how dialed-in Washington is to her craft.
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That same precision carried over into the casting process. Washington not only stars in the film but also serves as one of its producers. When it came to casting Isaac, she had one person in mind: French actor Omar Sy.
“I didn’t want to go the traditional agent route,” she said. “So, with my husband’s permission, I slid into Omar’s DMs on Instagram. I sat by my phone like a teenager waiting to see if he’d respond.”
Sy not only responded—he loved the script. And according to Washington, the mutual admiration and respect between them helped build the film’s emotional core.
“Yes, it’s a big, splashy action adventure,” she said. “But it’s really a story about family and love. This Black couple that love each other and their child so much that they’ll go to the ends of the earth to protect them.”
One of the film’s scene-stealers is their on-screen son, played by newcomer Jahleel Kamara. “He steals the whole movie,” Washington said. “It’s so beautiful to see Black fatherhood portrayed in a way that’s powerful, but also vulnerable and emotionally present. I know so many dads like that, but we don’t see them enough on screen.”
Washington, known for complex characters like Olivia Pope (Scandal) and Mia Warren (Little Fires Everywhere), also joked about what a group chat with those women and Kyrah would look like.
She added: “Mia would get herself into something wild,” she laughed. “And then Kyrah, maybe she’s Mia’s long-lost sister. They’d definitely go to Olivia for a solution.”
The film also stars Mark Strong; Da’Vine Joy Randolph; and Cliff “Method Man” Smith.
“Shadow Force” hits theatres May 9.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred and based entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-F on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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