CALL OF DUTY: INFINITE WARFARE FEATURE GAME NEWS PAM GRIER VIDEO GAME NEWS
BY JENNA BUSCH ON APRIL 4, 2017
Exclusive Interview: Pam Grier on Shaolin Shuffle Call of Duty Zombie DLC
We chat exclusively with Pam Grier about her character in the Call of Duty DLC ‘Shaolin Shuffle’
Iconic actress Pam Grier is known for her work in ’70s films like Coffy, Foxy Brown and more, as well as playing Amanda Waller in Smallville and her starring role in the Quentin Tarantino film Jackie Brown. Now she’s bringing all that experience to a new role; the voice (and likeness) of the Shaolin Sister in the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Continuum DLC zombie co-op game, Shaolin Shuffle. We got a chance to chat exclusively with Grier about the game and what’s coming. We found out early on what a huge gamer she is and how she loves playing. She also does a lot of charity work for groups like Pilots and Paws, which rescues animals. Lee Ross, Associate Project Director at Infinity Ward, the co-lead on their zombies modes was along for the interview to give us some more info. The DLC will premiere on PlayStation 4 on April 18, along with four new multiplayer maps. Check out what Grier and Ross had to say about the game, the film characters the Shaolin Sister is based on and more! You can also check out the trailer below!
RELATED: Infinity Ward’s Lee Ross on Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Rave in the Redwoods
ComingSoon.net: We know you’re a gamer. What do you play?
Pam Grier: I started with Atari! Before then, chess. That’s how I started playing games, because I loved checkers, chess back in the day. When it became electronic, Atari was the first one, of course. I had a hissy fit when they made Game Boy and didn’t make a Game Girl. You know I was upset! [laughs] I raised the roof! I even called them up, “You know, what it is? Do you know who this is?”
CS: Did you really call Nintendo?
Pam Grier: I did! When the Wii came out, you couldn’t get it. I got one in Vancouver, and I gave it to all of my cast maters in The L Word. In my motorhome, when they couldn’t find me; “That **** Wii! We’re going to take it away from her!” I was playing everything. I have a PlayStation 1, two, three, four – I have so many, it’s like, can I keep up with this? I play with my nephews when it’s cold and snowing… we play Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto. I was in Grand Theft Auto V as Mama G. I liked Tomb Raider, because I wanted to play her. ****it, I can at least play the game! [laughs] I’m fascinated by the illustrations, the art, the art direction is amazing. The explosions and the movement, it’s just… l just like to look at the set design. Oh, wow, oh, we were playing a game? Sorry! I’m just enthralled by it… I could not leave my house if people [didn’t say] Pam, you have other things to do in life… I also have pinball machines. I have the Star Wars pinball machine, and I have the X-Men pinball machine!
CS: Tell us about your character in this game.
Pam Grier: I’m a Shaolin Sister! Red beans and rice don’t miss her! [laughs] She’s a force, and she has wisdom and she’s a sensei. Well, she is a sensei.
Lee Ross: She’s a sensei, but she’s also going to be sort of the ear to the ground, the voice of the streets for all of the unspoken victims of Manhattan that have been invaded by this terrible menace.
Pam Grier: Terrible menace, and the terrible menace is awesome! He’s a rotten, terrible, awesome menace! Does that make you drool?
CS: Yes!
Pam Grier: Oh, and the graphic designs, the color, everything is going to be extraordinary. When I first heard that I was going to be offered this opportunity, I didn’t want to tell them I’d do it for free! I just was overwhelmed because I was trying to write a game movie, where the characters go into the game. I was coming up with something… I have those late night moments because of the gaming and because of how much I enjoy it. So I came up with a concept and all of a sudden, this was better than I could do with a case of beer! [laughs] A six pack. I said, oh my god, this is a great opportunity to do this… I can bring an age group of mine to this for their kids. And the fact that people will revisit gaming from the ’80s and ’90s and into today, and be like, I have a library. This is actually fun. Pam does this. Pam crazy! I’ve seen more families, more parents spend time with their kids and this is important for them to play a couple of games with them. That’s quality family time.
CS: Are there any of your films that may have made their way into this?
Pam Grier: Kind of like, maybe Coffy, maybe? A little bit of Foxy Brown.
Lee Ross: I think the persona of a lot of her characters, you’ll kind of see bits and pieces of that. The idea was to kind of construct this character that was an ensemble of everything that she participated in, in the ’70s. So finding that rich, deep character, the embodiment of all of those characters and things coming together, that’s the Pam Grier that we’re facing in this 1970s episode. It’s the Coffy, it’s the Foxy Brown, it’s all of those things embodied into one. You’re going to get a little taste of all that bad mamma jamma stuff.
Pam Grier: I remember when I was doing the Foxy Brown martial arts stuff for the titles, they wanted me to dance slow. But martial arts is really fast. They said, “Can you slow it down?” I was like, slow it down? Like ballet dancing? Okaaay. But they had me in a bikini. I did this one leg strike, I remember I almost got cut with the elastic! I thought I was going to die! I need a gi! That hurt! I’m not going to lift my leg anymore for this! I’m sorry, y’all! [laughs] Never practice in a bikini! Don’t even try a string or a thong! You’re gonna die! So I’m in a gi [in the game]. He’s got me in a gi. I’m safe. I can do what I need to do against the arch enemies!
Reply With Quote