Father-Daughter Story In Taron Egerton’s 87% RT Thriller Explained By Stars: “She Saves His [Life]”

She Rides Shotgun answers the question, “What does your young, estranged daughter do if you, an ex-con in search of a second chance, find yourself hunted by unrelenting enemies?” The dramatic thriller is from director Nick Rowland and produced by, among others, Hiro Murai (Atlanta, The Bear, Mr. & Mrs. Smith).

A movie with such a tight central dynamic lives or dies on the strength of its leads, but don’t worry–ScreenRant’s She Rides Shotgun review praised the “heart-wrenching father-daughter duo” of Taron Egerton’s Nate and Ana Sophia Heger’s Polly as “incredible”.

It’s a new kind of role for Egerton, who is well-known for his work on the Kingsman movies as well as his turn as Elton John for 2019’s Rocketman, the latter of which earned him a Golden Globe. Heger, at 11 years old, featured in 35 episodes of the sitcom Life in Pieces, which ran from 2015 to 2019.

ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley interviewed Taron Egerton and Ana Sophia Heger about their work in the Rotten Tomatoes darling She Rides Shotgun. The pair discussed their onscreen dynamic as well as the take on Heger’s character Polly that makes her more than an element of the movie’s plot. She Rides Shotgun is in theaters now, and can be rented on digital platforms.

Ana Sophia Heger’s Performance Even Surprised Her Co-Star

Taron Egerton is something of a known quantity, at least in the sense that the award-winning actor is expected to turn in gripping performances. Ana Sophia Heger, on the other hand, had a chance to blow audiences away–including her co-star. “I thought I was going to be [in] the big brother, mentor role,” Egerton shared.

And, according to Egerton, Heger’s performance struck him as special even during a chemistry read. “When we first met over Zoom,” he said, “I said, ‘Are you nervous? It’s okay to be nervous. I’m a bit nervous too.’ And [she] said, ‘I am nervous, but I’m ready.’” “We did the scene,” he added, “and [she] blew us all away.”

“There was so much heart in what [she] was doing,” Egerton continued, saying “It was very thoughtful and charismatic, and she was just the perfect choice for the role.”

Polly & Nate’s Dynamic Explained By Stars

Despite being a child in the midst of killers, Ana Sophia Heger’s Polly is far from helpless. “She’s trying to help her dad and [herself] survive,” the actor said. “She just gets the strength from [everything] she’s going through. She’s watching all these crazy things happen, so she knows how to be stronger.”

Polly is even a grounding force for Nate, Egerton said: “There were moments where Nate is barely coping, and I think what Ana brought so beautifully to Polly is [that] she could see that he wasn’t coping and that he was ill-equipped. So, the moments where he becomes vulnerable, she takes care of him.”

Ultimately, Egerton said, “I think the key to their relationship is that, sure, he is there to [try] and save her life, but she saves his as well, after a fashion. [They’re] saving each other, basically.”