Uma Thurman he’s been a longtime action icon, from his sword-wielding exploits in ‘Kill Bill’ to his gritty roles in recent thrillers. At the premiere of ‘Pretty Lethal’ at the 2026 SXSW Film and Television Festival on March 13 in Austin, Texas, the 55-year-old actor talked about the incredible work of his young cast. Although the role of villainous hostess Devora Kasimer required less physical intensity, Thurman was impressed with the ballet-trained stars who pulled off their daring sequences. The action-thriller mixes dance, survival horror and hyperviolent empowerment, proving Thurman’s enduring thrill for bold female-led stories.
‘Pretty Lethal’ SXSW premiere buzz
‘Pretty Lethal’ follows a talented ballet troupe including Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Avantika, Millicent Simmonds and Iris Apatow. The bus breaks down en route to a competition, plunging Thurman’s stunning roadside inn into deadly chaos. Thurman told People, “My part wasn’t as stunt-heavy as the other actors in the movie, so it wasn’t difficult for me in that way.” He praised their effort as “awesome”, adding: “They did all their dances and stunts, and they were collaborating with an action sequence team to create this incredible action sequence.”
Uma Thurman Cast Dedication
The cast’s commitment impressed Thurman, who pulled out of his “Kill Bill” training for past projects like 2025’s “The Old Guard 2.” However, in an interview with the Times, he recalled: “Thank God for that, because I signed on to this project quite late, so I didn’t have time to do proper training. Fortunately, I spent hundreds of hours learning how to hold a sword.” Her Pretty Lethal co-stars echoed the inspiration: Ziegler, 23, told the crowd at SXSW, “Kill Bill was a huge inspiration for us. We looked to her action fight scenes, where she was just a badass woman, for inspiration. when [director] Vicky [Jewson] he told me that Uma wanted to do it and he replied, I was beside myself.”
Kudos to director Vicky Jewson Villan and Uma Thurman
Jewson raved about Thurman’s villainy, saying, “‘Uma is obviously an icon, and she can play a villain like no one else can.” He has a wicked sense of humor and also gives the character an empathy that allows him to be with the character when the most absurd things happen. I don’t think anyone of Uma’s talent can do that,” according to People.Thurman herself told Screen Rant about the appeal of the script: “It’s an incredible mix of ballet and a fight for survival. And then when I met Vicky on Zoom, I understood that she was going to break this thing, and she was going to do this, intense female empowerment, pop art, hyper-violent action. Thurman’s legacy and influence adds weight to the stunt approach of Pretty Lethal, from Poison Ivy to Batman & Robin to The Discord In Old Guard 2. At SXSW, he highlighted the film’s over-the-top vibe to InStyle: “It’s not your typical Amazon streaming premiere. I looked at it and thought, ‘How are we going to do this?’ She is feminine, but wild. It’s awesome, it’s funny and it’s powerful, so it’s over the top.’ Ziegler and the cast shared stories of Thurman’s set-piece routine, mixing her cool demeanor with intense action prep.
