Grammy Award-winning singer Carrie Underwood makes her feature film acting debut with Soul Surfer, the inspirational film based on the real-life story of surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm as the result of a 14 foot tiger shark attack. Underwood plays Sarah Hill, a youth-group leader who helped Hamilton heal from her devastating injury.
Underwood heard about the movie being made about Hamilton's incredible journey back from the life-changing injury and wanted to be involved. "I have lots of people in my life, and they had heard that they were making a movie about Bethany Hamilton. I don’t know who reached out to who, or who contacted whom, but one way or another I got a script, and I got the book, and I got DVDs and all kinds of information about Bethany and her story, which I’d heard of when it happened, but I didn’t know the ins and outs and all that good stuff," explained Underwood at the film's Los Angeles press day. "When I read the script, I definitely wanted to be involved [in] such an inspirational story. Just to be a part of telling that was enough for me."
The real Sarah Hill was available anytime Underwood needed to talk to her, and Underwood felt a real connection with the women she portrayed in the film. "I feel like we are probably a lot alike," said Underwood. "I haven't gotten to spend that much time with her, but she is very direct, and she'll be honest and kind of tell people how it is. I really respect her. And I learned more about her from listening to other people talking about her than I did from talking to her myself. Bethany's parents were saying, 'She has helped so many people. She helped her family so much,' and they love her. They love her to death!"
And Underwood recalled her first meeting with the real Bethany Hamilton, which took place on the set of Soul Surfer. "I met everybody on set. It was all so quick; one minute we’re talking about the movie and the next minute I’m flying out to Hawaii. It was so wonderful to have the whole family: Bethany, her parents, her brothers, everybody on set, working on the film. It was very encouraging. [It] made you feel like you were doing things the right way and you had their blessings."
"She just wanted to surf; she didn’t hang around the set too much. She’d come for about half an hour or so, and then be like, 'Yeah, I’m going to go.' She is what you think she would be. She’s an athlete, and she loves to be on the water."
It's her first feature film and Underwood didn't care that the role was a small one. In fact, the talented singer admits music is her life and she didn't want to jump into acting by taking on a starring role. "This is the role they had in mind. It’s a small role, but a very important role. The whole success of the film does not weigh on my shoulders as an actress. It was perfect. It all fit, and we made it fit with schedules, and they were like, 'Well, come on, then.' So we made it work," said Underwood.
So, has Underwood been bitten by the acting bug? "I'm kind of a go with the flow kind of girl," replied Underwood when asked her plans for future film roles. "I take my opportunities as they come, so I'm not looking to – 'I want to do another movie this year. What's it going to be?' Opportunities present themselves, just like this one did, and I took that. I don't know. It's how I roll!"
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Soul Surfer is rated PG for an intense accident sequence and some thematic material.
