There's a reason Audrey Esparza seems like she could kick your butt if she wanted to, and it's because Audrey Esparza could totally kick your butt if she wanted to.
In person, though, the "Blindspot" actress is much more modest when it comes to her self-defense skills. But make no mistake: Behind all that modesty, Esparza is definitely bringing an element of realism to the tough-as-nails FBI agent she plays on NBC's hit series.
"Believe it or not, one of the best things for me is that I come from a dancer's background," explains Esparza, who plays Special Agent Tasha Zapata. "So in terms of fighting, fighting is choreography. "
"[And] I just so happen to have done a couple of years of muay Thai before," she adds. "So between that and the dancing, I gracefully look like I could probably kill you."
It doesn't hurt that Esparza's character is also very well-written, which makes her that much more "fun to play," according to Esparza. "She's a strong, ferocious FBI agent that is not always kind, but she's good at her job," the actress tells us. "We're often … asked, as women, what it's like to play such a strong female character, and I feel like Martin Gero, our creator, just writes great characters. And a man would be lucky to play her."
Watch the rest of our exclusive interview with Esparza for more, then be sure to tune in for the new season of "Blindspot" on NBC.
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