I recently had the pleasure to interview the über-nice Amanda Righetti, who currently plays agent Grace Van Pelt on the CBS hit show The Mentalist. The St. George, UT, born and Las Vegas, NV, raised actress also counts The OC, Entourage and was the lead in last year’s Friday the 13th, directed by Michael Bay.

Amanda Righetti

I quizzed the beautiful actress on what her physical approach to roles is, as well as how she carries her fitness over to her off-screen life.

Philippe: Amanda, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to tell us about your training. As an actor even more so than the everyday person, your body is your most important tool. Taking on a role is a complete physiological transformation, from your emotions to your physique. How do you vary your training based on your roles requirements?

Amanda: My training varies based on the requirements of any given role. For instance with “Friday the 13th”, I knew I would be doing a lot of running and falling. With that in mind, I did endurance/interval training as a preparation. I would alternate one minute of a slow paced jog with two minutes of a sprint for thirty minutes. I also did upper body strengthening with weights as well as push-ups, in anticipation of having to fall and catch my own weight. This was based mostly on injury prevention.

What do you find to be your favorite training method?

My favorite training methods are ones that challenge my mind as well as my body. Things like dancing, Jukari, boxing or yoga. Something that keeps my attention and I have fun doing without feeling like I’m working out.

How important is it for you to stay fit, in terms of your personal life and interests, separately from the entertainment industry’s needs?

Staying fit is just as important to mental health as it is to physical health. It keeps my stress balanced and in check, and allows me to achieve goals I can control.

FHM photo shoot

Do you ever explore other training modalities (kettlebells, martial arts, natural movement patterns)? How do you keep your training fresh?

I am always open to exploring new ways of challenging myself physically. With in the past couple of years I have taken up Muay Thai. I like to mix up my routine to keep it fresh.

Your character on The Mentalist, Grace Van Pelt, appears to be a caring, conservative and tech savvy person, but she can also deliver in the field. What kind of preparation/tactical training have you undergone to “become” a CBI agent?

Working on “The Mentalist”, some of the training I’ve done to prepare included learning how to approach a potentially dangerous building working within a unit or team. Learning how to handle weaponry, and interview/interrogation tactics. I have met and interviewed detectives and done ride-alongs with LAPD, as well as done extensive reading about the FBI and serial killers.

Agents Cho (Tim Kang) and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti).

When under high stress, it is often advisable to release the surge of adrenaline through intense physical activity (kickboxing, heavy lifting, running), after which a “crash” occurs usually (which, fun fact, can cause weight gain if you don’t put that surge of energy to use). When performing high stress scenes like in Friday 13th, how do you level back to normal? (As I understand, acting is not pretending or faking, the emotions are being experienced for real, even if in a controlled environment).

Leveling stress and emotions after being under intense pressure for filming can be tricky. Every experience is different, and the journey back to your center is truly a journey of reconnection to your true self; your soul; and in the process of accepting that journey, I find my way back.

Any new projects besides a sequel to “Friday 13th” and the hit show “The Mentalist”?

I am currently pursuing new projects, but am not as liberty to discuss any details at the moment.

Thank you again for allowing me to interview you for my first celebrity fitness oriented article of 2010! I wish you many years of success on the small and big screen !