Brick Mansions’ Catalina Denis: ‘Meeting Paul Walker was a Gift from God’ (Excl. Interview)

I have the pleasure of speaking with the beautiful and talented Catalina Denis, who have worked in a few French movies produced by Luc Besson. Now she co-star in a more mainstream EuropaCorp film, the American remake of the fantastic action flick “District B-13,” “Brick Mansions” (in theaters now). In the interview below, she talks about her life, her character, and the memories of working with the late Paul Walker.

Tell us about your amazing journey: Being a young model, moving to France and becoming an actress.

I had a very serious car accident in Colombia. I was in the hospital for 4 months and I had to learn how to walk again. I said to myself: ‘There are things to do, people to meet and cultures to discover. I am leaving!’ And the easiest way of doing that was through modeling, so I started traveling. But I never liked still images, I love motion pictures. […] In Paris I met Luc Besson, and I told him that I didn’t know how to start in that world, that I was scared. He told me to trust myself and my instincts. I started acting school and that discovery changed my life forever.

Were you familiar wit the original, “District B-13”?

No. I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to have the influence of other interpretations so I never saw it.

What makes ‘Lola’ different from previous characters that you have played?

Lola is a real and complex character. I am Lola. I completely relate to her story, leaving her house to force destiny. I could have stay in Colombia to finish law school and live a different life. I wanted to make my dreams come true and Lola did the same thing. She left Brick Mansions, her family and the man she loved to enter into the unknown.

What did you get from the experience of working with Paul Walker?

Professionally speaking, he was a guy who was totally focused on what he was doing. He had that duality: In one hand he was laid-back and cool, but at the same he was completely aware of what was going on. He said something if he thought the dialogue wasn’t working, the lights, the frame, everything. That was the first time I saw something like that. Once you are aware of all that, you are free to play. Paul doesn’t act in this movie, he plays.
On a personal level, you met him, he was super cool. He made you feel comfortable all the time. You could talk to him about anything knowing that he wouldn’t judge nor criticize you. To me was an enormous gift from God.

“In a dystopian Detroit, abandoned brick mansions left from better times now house only the most dangerous criminals. Unable to control the crime, the police constructed a colossal containment wall around this area to protect the rest of the city. For undercover cop Damien Collier (Paul Walker) every day is a battle against corruption. For Lino (David Belle), every day is a fight to live an honest life. Their paths never should have crossed, but when drug kingpin, Tremaine (RZA) kidnaps Lino’s girlfriend, Damien reluctantly accepts the help of the fearless ex-convict, and together they must stop a sinister plot to devastate the entire city. With stylized action featuring thrilling Parkour stunts (David Belle is the co-founder of the physical training discipline), Brick Mansions puts an entertaining twist on the action genre.”