Elena Sanchez talks about ‘Bone Face’ and ‘Captain America: Brave New World’

Elena Sanchez. Photo Credit: Ben Cope

Actress and performer Elena Sanchez (“The Hunger Games”) chatted about her latest projects, which include “Bone Face” and “Captain America: Brave New World.”

The synopsis of “Bone Face” is: “After a masked killer slaughters several campers, police track the murderer to a local diner and must discover whom the actual killer is.”

How was your experience in “Bone Face”?

“Bone Face” is a murder mystery where I play a deputy alongside Jeremy London as the sheriff, and we try to solve the case of a serial killer that has plagued the community.

Most of the film takes place in a diner where we suspect one of the patrons is the culprit, but we don’t quite know who it could be just yet.

It was such a great experience because it was a relatively small cast and crew, a lot of which were my close friends, and I had worked with before.

Also, it was my first lead role, so it was nice to have that experience with people I loved and was comfortable with.

Are you excited for Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World“? (What can we expect… stunt work-wise)

I’m really excited for the new “Captain America” to come out. It’ll be interesting to see how things have shifted with Anthony Mackie as Captain America. The rest of the cast is stellar as well.

As far as the action, it’s epic, as can be expected in the Marvel universe. I was lucky to be a part of a couple of sequences, but I can’t say much more just yet. You’ll have to watch it when it comes out!

How was your experience in “The Hunger Games”?

Being cast in the biggest movie of the year was absolutely insane. Until I had my first day on camera, I kept thinking I was going to be replaced. I couldn’t understand how I had ended up there! It was such a wonderful experience.

I got to work with the best of the best, made some lifelong friends, and got into the best shape of my life. I spent almost two months in Atlanta filming, and it made me fall in love with the city. 

Being a part of such a huge franchise helped me get my foot in more doors, both for acting and for stunts. 

It’s also really cool that it’s been over 10 years now, and every day there are new people discovering the books and the movies and reaching out to say how much they mean to them.

How does it feel to be a part of the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent)

For the most part, I think it’s amazing. The digital age allows us to consume and produce an incredible variety of content and be connected with people all around the world. We are able to learn about anything at the touch of a button.

How incredible is that? What I don’t like is the toxicity and lies that come with it, and that people have weaponized it. I think we need more safeguards in place to protect all of us.

What do your plans for the future include?

I’d like to keep telling stories through performing and also producing, which I started doing a couple of years ago.

Lately, I’ve been lucky to travel a lot for work, and I’d love to get the opportunity to film in more places around the world.

There’s so much I’d still like to see! I’d also really like to meet someone to share this life with and start a family with.

What is your advice for young and aspiring actors and performers?

My main piece of advice for young actors and performers is to start creating. At the beginning, just create for practice, and to learn what works and what doesn’t.

When I first started taking acting classes, we filmed ourselves to try to learn how to act on camera. I was absolutely terrible, and I would never have posted any of that anywhere.

Find your local creative community and start making things! Whether that is in an acting class, a local theater group, or just friends getting together on the weekends to shoot stuff.

Once things become a little more polished and your work becomes better, put things on the internet and send them out to your community for engagement and feedback.

Also, use social media to your advantage! It’s so easy to connect with other filmmakers online. There are so many people who share knowledge for free, all you have to do is look for it!

What does the word success mean to you?

Success to me means persevering in life and in the face of challenges and adversity. It’s not just about end goals though. Sometimes success might mean just getting out of bed in the morning.

Sometimes it means going to the gym when it’s the last thing you want to do. And sometimes it means booking a job that you have been dreaming about.

Success is not linear, and I try to be kind to myself when sometimes I feel like I’m doing less than I should be. It’s important to celebrate the little things in between, which are steps towards larger goals.

What would you like to tell our readers about “Bone Face” and “Captain America: Brave New World”?

With everything that is going on in the world, I hope that both “Bone Face” and “Captain America: Brave New World” provide people with a little escape for an afternoon or evening. They are both very different films, so there’s something for everyone.

“Bone Face” is more for the horror/thriller crowd, while “Captain America” is for the fans of big sweeping action blockbusters and if you’re feeling brave, you can watch them both back-to-back!

If you’re reading this, find me online and let me know what you think of them!

To learn more about Elena Sanchez, follow her on Instagram and visit her website.