In Mortal Kombat, Tati Gabrielle steps into the iconic role of Jade—bringing both fan nostalgia and fresh emotional depth to the beloved character. Having built a loyal following through projects like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Gabrielle now finds herself at the centre of one of gaming’s most brutal and beloved universes.In a conversation with ETimes, the actor opens up about her childhood connection to the franchise, the physical demands of the role, reuniting with Adeline Rudolph, and why she believes storytelling should empower audiences—especially women.You’ve come a long way—from Sabrina to You to now Mortal Kombat. Growing up, were you already a fan? Was Jade your go-to character?Tati Gabrielle: I was a huge Mortal Kombat fan as a kid, my brother and I both. And yes, Jade was always my go-to character because I think she was the only one who looked like me. Especially before Tanya came in and things like that. Jade was my gal and green was my favourite colour as a kid. My inner kid was screaming when I was able to go through with this.Like Tom Holland’s gymnastics helped him land Spider-Man, did your black belt help you get this role?Tati Gabrielle: I definitely think it helped. But it was funny, actually, because I had to learn a whole new set of martial arts to be able to do Jade. I had to work with a Chinese bow as opposed to a Japanese bow staff. I have experience with Japanese bow staff but I had to unlearn to relearn. So that was a really fun challenge going through this.What drew you to Jade beyond your personal connection? Was she always the character you wanted to play?Tati Gabrielle: I guess I was open to playing other characters, but I feel like Jade was a perfect match for me. I was also really intrigued by their iteration of Jade in this story. You sort of see her grow into herself. Which I think that through the games, you may not be able to see with such a stark heart.Or really get to go into the interworkings of what happens to somebody when their world is diminished. Edenia has fallen to Shao Kahn. And what happens to this orphan girl who is already a badass as a kid. She’s been pulled from these fighting pits by Shao Kahn. Who does she become? And how does she continue to find herself through life? So I think that was the thing that drew me to Jade. I wouldn’t have traded Jade for the world in that way.I feel really honoured to be able to tell her story and go through her arc with her. As she discovers who she is and who she wants to be.You reunite with Adeline Rudolph in this film. What was it like working together again after ‘The Adventures of Sabrina’?Tati Gabrielle: It was my dream to do this with Adeline. Oh, my God. You have no idea. That’s my sister. Through and through. She’s been one of the closest people to me since ‘Sabrina’.And so to be able to go on this journey together was really exciting for us both. We were together, of course, almost every day while shooting this. I was so proud of her, too. You know, Addie didn’t have a martial arts background. And she, like, really committed to this. Like, super committed. And she’s like, ‘I want to get this straight. I want to do this’.And we would, like, practise outside of the hotel together. She’s like, ‘Can you come and do this with me and help me with this?’ And I’m like, ‘Absolutely’. So it was so beautiful, I think. Just as a sister, like, to watch her, like, grow through this and develop in this new skill was just really, like, I don’t know, heartwarming and rewarding for me to watch.It was such a gift… once I found out that Addie was attached, I was like, oh, the sisters are back together again. It was a blast. It was honestly my favourite part, probably, of filming this was doing it with Addie.What was it like working alongside veterans like Hiroyuki Sanada and Karl Urban?Tati Gabrielle: It was like its own little mini masterclass. Hiroyuki Sanada… I’ve been a fan of since I was a kid. So just even meeting this man, I was like, ‘ah’. As a kid, like a martial artist, I have so much respect and just sort of revere this man. And so he’s such a sweetheart. The whole experience was like little kid moments over and over again, being like, you’re getting to do this.We felt like one big family. We’d go to dinners all the time. We would do little game nights. It was one of the best cast experiences that I’ve had. Everybody was so lovely. And it was very clear that we were all working toward the same goal. That we wanted this to be awesome.”Your characters often have powerful arcs, especially from a woman’s perspective. Is that something you actively seek out?Tati Gabrielle: Very much so. Because I think that we as humans are always redeemable. That we are always looking to grow. To change. To always be better than we were the day before. Or the year before. Or the ten years before.And so when I look at characters, I always want to play somebody. Or find a story that is relatable in that way. That somebody can see themselves and go. Okay, hope’s not lost for me. Okay, this is how I can move through life next. Okay, or inspire somebody to be stronger. To take something on.And I think I was raised around some very powerful women. Some very badass women. And so I think that that’s something that I like to reflect. Or is it reflected back at me when I go to choose characters? Being like, yeah. And I want all women in the world to know that we have the power. At the end of the day. Whether the men want to think so or not. They need us. They need us. So bad. So it is. It’s just an honour for me to be able to empower women in that way.There’s always chatter and criticism around casting. How do you deal with negativity? And what do you hope audiences take away?Tati Gabrielle: I mean, honestly, for me, the negativity, I ignore. Because at the end of the day, I always think that, like, either you are going… either, you know, you don’t like it. You don’t like me or somebody else. And you won’t go to watch it. But, hey, that’s your loss, not ours.And I hope that people are able… those that may have qualms or whatever with casting or people’s looks… I hope that they’re able to still have open minds. That’s, again, I hope that for them. I don’t need that for us.I know that we did an awesome job. And that it’s a sick movie. So… I hope that people are able to open their minds so that they are able to enjoy and grow with the times. Yeah, that’s all I can say to that. Like, naysayers be gone.‘Mortal Kombat II’ is a follow-up to the 2021 reboot of the ‘Mortal Kombat’ film franchise, directed by Simon McQuoid. The story picks up after the events of the 2021 film, where the sinister sorcerer Shang Tsung (played by Chin Han) attempts to eliminate Earth’s champions before they could compete in the titular tournament. This time, the stakes are higher as the long-awaited Mortal Kombat tournament takes centre stage.‘Mortal Kombat II’ is scheduled to release in theatres on May 8, 2026.
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