Two decades after her role as Jasmine in the action-packed spy film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Kerry Washington has returned to the genre, but this time, she’s traded her computer for a machine gun. Washington leads the cast in Lionsgate’s latest action-thriller, Shadow Force.

Washington plays Kyrah, a former member of an elite operative team, the Shadow Force, who comes out of retirement to protect her most precious asset — her family.

Kyrah and her ex-husband and former operative partner, Issac, played by Omar Sy, reunite to protect their son Kai, portrayed by Jahleel Kamara, from the shadowy organization they once worked for that now has a $25 million bounty on their heads. With high stakes at risk, Shadow Force sees Washington tap into her maternal and killer instincts, showing off combat skills that fans may not expect from her.

A family that fights together, stays together

“Omar and I trained together way before we started filming. We started learning the fight choreography and then also doing just fitness on our own. I was weight training, doing Pilates and cardio, hiking, and just doing all the things to try to get ready to be these mercenaries,” Washington told Blavity’s Shadow and Act during our cast interview. As the film’s executive producer, Washington could work extra training time with her co-star if she felt the scene needed a boost. “I didn’t have to get anybody’s permission,” she laughed.

While Washington and Sy built their bond over combat training, they agreed their favorite pre-filming moment was when Kamara auditioned for the role of their son, Kai. “There was no question when he walked out of the room,” Washington stated. She added, “There wasn’t even a conversation to be had. It was like, that’s it. Yeah, that’s him.”

The 6-year-old actor was “excited” to work with Washington and Sy and felt how loving and caring they were from day one, confirming the film would be “great.”

Shadow Force is full of all the explosions, high-speed chases and fight scenes you would want from an action thriller, and Kamara held his own through them all as the precious asset his former elite operation parents needed to protect.

The young actor recalled his favorite moment during an intense chase scene. He was stowed away in Kyrah’s ambush-proof car, and he witnessed his mother take matters into her own hands to ward off the people sent to stop them. “When my mom peeked her head out the window and was shooting everywhere. I love that moment. I was like, ‘Wow, my mom is certified… wow,’” he said excitedly.

When all the smoke clears, family will always be there

The film is full of action and even moments of comical relief provided by the auntie and uncle duo, played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Method Man. Still, at its core, it’s about love, loyalty and parental sacrifice.

“I love the combination of both,” Sy said when asked about displaying a father’s love and a trained mercenary’s ruthlessness.

“The action in this movie has a purpose. We know why we fight,” adding the audience would relate to a parent’s unfaltering feats to protect their child. “we know as parents how important it is for our kids to feel safe,” he said.

Washington echoed that sentiment. “As a parent, there’s no limit to that love and to ask yourself, ‘OK, if I was a trained killer and they were coming for my family, what would that look like? How would I react to that with this set of skills and this unique life?’”

Shadow Force is in theaters now.

Watch the full interview below: