What’s the real American Dream? For Cinthya Carmona it means representing real life stories on screen that speak to a global audience. The Venezuelan actress will be seen as the female lead for the new summer thriller, The Tax Collector, alongside legend George López, Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto. Film director David Ayer, places a predominantly Latino-cast for his action-packed film which portrays the story of two tax collectors (LaBeouf and Soto) for a crime lord whose business becomes upended, making David find himself desperately protecting his family from an old rival.

Cinthya plays the wife of David, a role that has changed her life and built her inner strength, “It really changed me after the filming process.” Before the cast started filming The Tax Collector, Ayer had each actor training Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and martial arts under the supervision of Richard Mesquita, who also trained the Suicide Squad cast.

“We had to rehearse with David for two and a half months before we started shooting The Tax Collector,” mentions Cinthya on an exclusive interview with Latina Watch. “It was five hours rehearsals per day and two of those hours we had to train at RMMA.” Though Cinthya was exposed to physical training, the film is not about showing her fighting abilities and karate skills. The 29-year-old actress confessed she got on the floor with Bobby during her daily training, “We were on the floor wrestling with each other.” But these intense rehearsals were meant to break Cinthya’s boundaries and turn her into a warrior. “It’s a form of bonding. It helps you get close. It brings a different side of you.” 

The Tax Collector is a devastating story that portrays a Mexican-American family’s struggles while Alexis’ (Cinthya) life is skewed and turned upside-down. The martial arts training was meant to prepare the cast for the demands of the film and the script. “The director wanted us to be as open, as available and as vulnerable as possible in every aspect of us. Emotionally, mentally and physically,” says Cinthya.

Cinthya’s mission is to continue telling stories that matter through theatre and the arts, and use her voice to change the narrative within her culture. “I want to tell real stories, I want to work on films that shine a light on a subject that people are afraid to talk about. I like films that are devastating and heartbreaking. I really enjoy telling real-life stories,” adds the actress. The Tax Collector is scheduled to hit theaters on August 7.