When it comes to her new film Boot Camp, Emmanuelle Chriqui hopes to accomplish one thing: remind women just how fierce they really are.
“I just don’t think that girls know that, or do that enough,” Chriqui, 48, exclusively told Us Weekly. “But I think that is everything. [Saying], ‘I love me on my worst day and I love me on my best day and everything in between.’ That’s such an important message as you move through the world in everything; your relationships, your work, all of the things. That we should be empowered no matter what.”
Chriqui plays Cindy in the coming of age comedy, the head of intense boot camp 18-year-old Whitney (Rachel Boudwin), joins in hopes of reinventing herself after a less than stellar prom night. Through the help of Cindy, new friends and personal trainer Axel (Drew Ray Tanner) — who she also may or may not be falling for — Whitney embarks on the journey of embracing her true self. The film, produced by Wattpad WEBTOON Studios, is directed by Mackenzie Monroe with a script by Gemma Holdway, which was based on the Wattpad manuscript by Gina Musa.
Being part of a project that focuses on “self-empowerment” and “raising the vibration” is something Chriqui was “super down” for. “I think it’s so nice to have something out there that’s positive,” she told Us, noting that modern day technology like social media only adds to the more “damaging” aspects of self image.
“I’m a big advocate of women, girls, empowerment and trying to just support each other,” she continued. “I think we really live in very difficult times right now and I think it’s been literally one thing after another for years. To make entertainment that allows you to smile and feel good for a second is literally more important than ever.”
The actress added, “I feel very, very grateful that I get to be part of telling that story that can make someone feel good.”
While Boot Camp largely centers on Whitney’s journey, Chriqui’s Cindy has her own path to follow throughout the film as she and her estranged daughter, the innately cynical Willow (Rachel Boyd) — who also happens to be Whitney’s bully — find a way to reconnect.
“I understood where Cindy was coming from and that with her mission, her challenge is her daughter,” Chriqui explained. “To really get [Willow] to see things in [a new] way, to be empowered. [To learn] that isn’t all about how you look and to embrace each other and all the rest.”
Chriqui noted she was “very lucky” to be working with such a talented cast that contained the likes of Boyd, Boudwin and Tanner. The Entourage alum was also excited to step into the shoes of a complex woman like Cindy; seemingly impenetrably positive even on her worst day, but still battling a complicated history with self image of her own.
“I just [thought] about the people, women in particular, who have inspired me along the way, who have been my cheerleaders, that have raised me up during profoundly low times,” she told Us of taking on the role. “And it was just such a fun spin [to play a] former model who has dedicated her life to health and wellness and not making things skin deep. Being a woman at this time, I think those are things we all deal with.”
Boot Camp is now available in select theaters and on demand.
