Jessica Camacho “threw” herself into training for her starring role on Prime Video’s new series Countdown.
“It’s super physical,” Camacho, 42, exclusively told Us Weekly while detailing her training regimen. “I submitted my will to the gym. I just basically was like, ‘We’re doing this every day.’”
Camacho portrays Special Agent Amber Oliveras on Countdown, which focuses on a secret task force of undercover agents as they investigate a suspicious murder case.
“I love the physical component of connecting with the character, because you want to be able to do what your character’s able to do. That’s a bridge to understanding them better,” Camacho told Us. “It’s the determination, the will that it takes to push yourself in that way [that] I find really motivating and challenging, but in the challenge lies growth. You learn so much about yourself, you learn so much about how strong Amber had to be to keep herself physically fit, but also to keep herself motivated, to stay in shape, required to do her job and do it the best she could.”
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Ahead of filming, Camacho made sure to “switch it up” in the gym and alternated her workouts daily.
“[I did] weights and Pilates, yoga, running, walking, stretching [and] meditating because I’m like, ‘This woman needs to keep her mind clear,’” the actress said. “I kind of submitted myself to the process and just had fun with it, but also [I did] loads of interviews with all these agents and former agents, who were willing to give of their time and share their experiences so that I can understand some of the complexities that they grapple with.”
Camacho was particularly drawn to Amber as a “dynamic” character.
“She is [a badass], but she’s also human. I talked to a lot of law enforcement officers in doing research for this project [and] people who specialize in going undercover,” Camacho told Us. “These are just human beings. They’re trained, but they still experience fear. Their lives are still very much at risk, and so, it was this kind of complex mix of emotions and thoughts and feelings you’re trying to strategize. And also, you’re dealing with the adrenaline, you’re dealing with fear.”
Jessica Camacho, Elliot Knight and Violett Beane in the pilot episode of ‘Countdown.’ Elizabeth Morris / ©Amazon/MGM Studios/ Courtesy Everett CollectionShe added, “I love what I do for so many different reasons. One of the biggest [reasons for me] is I get to put myself into that headspace. You create the circumstances in your work. You put yourself as if you were really in that situation, and your body doesn’t know any difference. Oftentimes, when you connect to real circumstances [to] flesh out a character and what the stakes are and what the circumstances are, your body starts to react as if it were in that situation. It’s powerful, and it’s really exciting to witness that in your own body.”
Camacho stars in Countdown with an A-list group of actors, including Jensen Ackles and Eric Dane.
Jensen Ackles and Jessica Camacho in ‘Countdown.’ Elizabeth Morris / ©Amazon/MGM Studios/ Courtesy Everett Collection“It’s just revolting, the amount of love that we all have [for each other],” Camacho quipped of bonding with her castmates. “We really committed to showing up for one another behind the scenes. When we were all in our cast chairs, we [didn’t have a] nose in our phone, nose in our own book [or were] disconnected from one another. I think we all prioritized being present in this experience together. We immediately, kind of, had this shared kind of sensibility. They’re all the funniest people that I think I’ve ever met in my life.”
Camacho said the cast’s camaraderie created a lot of laughter.
“We started just hanging out like homies. We’d play games together,” she said. “They’re super competitive and that was fun to kind of witness. I mean, we’d bust out instruments and we’d sing. We’d all harmonize together, which was beautiful. We played trivia, darts, chess. It was just so joyous.”
Countdown premiered Wednesday, June 25, marking Dane’s first new project since he revealed his ALS diagnosis in April. Camacho recalled feeling “in awe” of working with the entire cast — and has “so much love and support” for Dane.
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“Eric showed up every day so present and so grounded in his work that I was just so excited to be working with him,” she told Us. “I learned so much from him as an actor, and to know [what] he’s been dealing with, we are just so proud to stand beside him and so proud of him.”
Camacho added, “The man that I know is deeply committed to what he believes in and to what he loves. He is kind, warm, very sharp, quick, witty, funny, open, generous, and commanding of his own presence in such a beautiful and inspiring way. The man that I know is so lovely, and we all feel that way.”
Countdown airs Wednesdays on Prime Video.
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