An ex-Marine haunted by a tragic past, Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh and enlists his father (Nick Nolte), a recovered alcoholic and his former coach, to train him for an MMA tournament awarding the biggest purse in the history of the sport. As Tommy blazes a violent path towards the title prize, his brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a former MMA fighter unable to make ends meet as a public school teacher, returns to the amateur ring to provide for his wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and family. Even though years have passed, recriminations and past betrayals keep Brendan bitterly estranged from both Tommy and his father. ‘Warrior’ opens September 9th in the US, and September 23rd in the UK. Check out what Jennifer Morrison had to say about the film below.

This film will resonate with a lot of people, especially the family dynamics.

Jennifer Morrison: Yeah. Gavin O’Connor the director, Anthony Tambakis the writer, Joel Edgerton who’s playing Brendan, and I, we all sat down and talked initially, we had long hours of meeting over stuff. Trying to figure out that we really made sure that we were representing something that was going on in America right now. A lot of that involved making sure we covered every angle of possibility, there was a lot of, ‘How do we show how stuck some people really are?’ A lot of times, for the most part, it’s beyond peoples reach to do much about it. We really focused that.

You definitely get the feeling of how much Brendan’s fights mean to Tess, from her complete fear of it, to her complete support…

Jennifer Morrison: The process from Tess not supporting the fighting, to supporting the fighting, and all that’s in between, that was something I was very concerned about – I think everyone was concerned about it (laughs). I don’t think the story carry’s the weight it carries if you don’t believe in that foundation, because it is everything he’s fighting for. He’s fighting to keep his home, he’s fighting to keep his family, he’s fighting to keep everything he’s worked so hard to hold on to – because he didn’t have any of that as a child. So much of that is wrapped up in his identity of who he is as a man, and how his life is meant to be. If he loses that, he loses everything.

I really thought you and Joel Edgerton worked so well together, how was he to work with?

Jennifer Morrison: Thank you. Working with Joel has been incredible, you can’t really ask for more when you’ve got somebody who’s so innately talented to begin with, but there’s also a part of Joel that is this guy. He’s definitely acting, it’s not like Joel is Brendan, he’s not (laughs), but the soul and spirit of Joel definitely lives in Brendan – his heart is in the right place, he’s always well intentioned, he’s incredibly disciplined, he’s incredibly loving, he has all these qualities in the person Joel Edgerton. It really infuses the character of Brendan, with those things that automatically makes you want to root for him.

There’s so much more to ‘Warrior’ than the fighting….

Jennifer Morrison: Yeah, as much as you can say ‘Warrior’ is a fight movie, ‘Warrior’ is really a family movie (laughs), in a weird way. You see these two guys, both Tommy and Brendan, who were raised in a really broken home. Both have really good hearts and are great guys, they were just raised in so much dysfunction – and even Paddy, I don’t know what his back-story is, I’m sure Nick Nolte knows, there’s got to be reasons for his alcoholism, there’s got to be reasons for the abuse he imposed on his family in his younger days. Family is a seed of hope for Brendan, with Tess and his girls.

You play a very strong female character in “Warrior,” and seemingly one of the very few female characters in the movie at all. Were there any particular challenges or joys in being in an extremely male-dominated project?

I was really lucky because I’m used to being in that situation, being the only girl around a lot of men in film and television. Even thinking about “House,” I was the girl on the team, but it was always House, Foreman, Chase and me, so there were always a lot of men around.

In particular, I was lucky on this because it was such a great group of guys. We had all men in the cast and then you have the director, the writer and a lot of the crew, the fight doubles, the stunt doubles and the backup fight doubles… There was a real true camaraderie between them. And they were all very respectful and caring and supportive. In the end, as testosterone-driven as they all were, I felt like I had 100 brothers that would go out and do anything to protect me and take care of me.

You’re from Chicago and were originally a “theater person.” Did your theatrical training play into doing a film like “Warrior” more than some of the other projects that you’ve worked on?

I would have to say that working on “Warrior” felt more like working on a play than any other film I’ve ever done. I think part of it is just the way that Gavin works. He gave us all 100 questions to answer about our characters before we even showed up — and I already sort of work that way, where I would build a detailed history for the character — but he asked questions I never thought of. It’s so great when you work with a director that really adds to your process, where he’s going to end up informing your future characters based on realizing that he’d helped you with that particular character…

By the time we were actually shooting, it feels like how you feel in a play, where you’ve had this whole rehearsal process where you’ve been able to explore so many options before you’re actually on the stage and presenting it. In the film, we’ve been able to explore so many options, mentally and emotionally hashing through all of it before we were even on set, and we could just let go and live the marriage at that point.

Earlier this week, we posted a story called, “Yep, That Was Jennifer Morrison in ‘Stir of Echoes.’” Is there any particular fond memory or story behind that film?

That movie was also a great experience. David Koepp directed that movie, and I remember auditioning for him. He was looking for an actress that could pull off playing a character that was a little bit mentally slow, which has its own challenges, but also he was technically going to shoot the footage of that character in a way where he was slowing down frame rates. He was looking for someone who had a dance or movement background because this person was going to have to be able to perform scenes at quarter-speed, half-speed and three-quarter-speed.

I remember going in and reading for him, and he really liked it, and then talking about all the technical stuff. And I was so confident that I could do it, I was like, “No, I can do it. I’m telling you I can do it. I’ve been in dance for 15 years.” And he looked at me and said, “Are you really this confident or are you going to have a breakdown at some point?” And I said, “No, I’m really this confident. I promise you, I can do this.” It was just a great experience.

After “Stir of Echoes,” you did “Urban Legends: Final Cut,” and that was the last horror film you did. Is horror something you’d like to do again sometime?

For me, in general, it’s always about the material. Obviously, it’s about the material and hoping that someone wants to hire me for a job, too, but I’ve certainly seen films like “Orphan” and movies like that where I know that if I had had the opportunity to read that script or had an opportunity to do it, I would have wanted to do it. It really is just about the script and the character, and if there’s something there that’s really cunning and intriguing about what is going on.

You did the voice of Wasp on “The Superhero Squad Show.” Would you be interested in perhaps doing a live-action version of that character if they were to ever bring her around?

Oh, I would love it! I don’t know if there is anyone who wouldn’t want to play some kind of superhero. I don’t know if the world is getting sick of superhero movies or not, but I think you will endlessly have actors who are intrigued by the idea of playing a superhero. Especially with Wasp, I feel like she has such a great sense of humor; she’s a very funny superhero. So yeah, I would sign on 100 percent.

What can you tell us about your new TV show, “Once Upon a Time,” on ABC?

It’s a show created by Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who were executive producers and writers on “Lost” for almost the entire run of that show. Just extraordinary scripts. When I got the script for this, it was one of those things where you can’t not do it because it’s so good. Every script since has just gotten better and better and better. I didn’t even know that was possible because I already thought the first one was incredible.

Literally, if there was a camera on me when I read the script, people would be laughing because I was like, “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this is happening!” I was so vocal while I was reading the script, and I’m texting [co-star] Ginnie [Goodwin], “Did you read this script? Did you read what just happened?” And she’s like, “Yes, I know! I’m freaking out!” I feel like I’m reading this great novel and I have to wait every week to get the next chapter. The guys have just come up with such creative storytelling and great, unexpected stuff. I’m just so excited for it to get on the air and have people see it.

With “Once Upon a Time,” there’s been talk that there’s been a whole fairy tale resurgence and people think the fairy tale might be the next comic book or superhero movie. Would you agree? You mentioned earlier that people might be getting sick of superhero movies.

Yeah, I don’t know. I mean I think it’s interesting that Snow White in particular is surfacing so much right now. “Snow White,” the Disney version, came out during the Great Depression, and it’s interesting that we’re in sort of a parallel economic time when people are once again becoming fascinated with the idea of the fairy tale. I’ve been reading about the psychology of the fairy tale, and it’s interesting when you dive into the subconscious meanings of this stuff and realize that these stories really are about hope and self-discovery.

I think when we’re in a certain time as a country and a global economy — when we’re struggling and we’re questioning the choices that have been made and what our future choices will be — people are subconsciously turning to these fairy tales because ultimately they are about hope and self-discovery, and that’s exactly what everybody is searching for right now. So I think that there is some kind of subconscious parallel going on there. Also, there is that excitement of the familiarity of those stories and yet it’s also something new and different compared to some of the comic books that people have now seen filmed so many times that they’ve kind of gotten used to it.

Warrior is such an intense film. What attracted you to the role?
When I read the script, I immediately felt drawn to her. I was a huge fan of (director) Gavin O’Connor’s work, so for me it was a no-brainer to go after that.

Did you guys do anything to lighten the mood on set?
There was an environment of family, truly, between everyone. We all got along so well, and we all wanted it to be the best it could possibly be. So there was an exciting energy, even though the material was heavy and intense at times.

There have been rumors about you possibly returning to House this season. Is that something you’re considering?
I would for sure. If there was something they wanted me to do, I would do it. It was such a huge part of my life, and I love that character. So, of course, I would want to be a part of the end of that show. But as far as rumors, I have not been contacted by anyone over there.

What about How I Met Your Mother? You played Ted’s girlfriend last season. Any chance you’ll be back?
You know what, I have no idea. With that show I always feel like anything could happen. They are so full of surprises over there that I wouldn’t put it past them. I would be in heaven to be a part of that again. I had so much fun working on that show. I think that is the happiest place on Earth.

It seems like such a fun group of people.
It is! I remember telling them — the first time I had a scene where I had to sit at the bar, I was like, “Guys, I’m at the booth!” They were like, “What?” I’m like, “The booth! The booth you always sit at!” They were like, “Oh, right.” For them it’s totally normal, but I’ve been a fan of the show since it started. So for me I was like, “I can’t believe I get to sit at the booth!”

You also have a new show, Once Upon a Time, starting this fall. What’s that been like?
It’s been absolutely incredible. I’m completely blown away by the script. I’ve never ever read anything like this, and there’s never been anything like this on television. We go crazy waiting for the next scripts. It’s like as if someone wrote this incredible novel, but they only give you one chapter at a time and you have to wait ten days for the next one!

You play a modern-day woman who finds out she’s the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. What did you think when you first heard about the fairytale aspect?
I didn’t hear about it, I just read the script. And to be honest the script is so clear that when you read it, it makes so much sense. It’s much harder to articulate without having seen the script or pilot.

You’ve been in so many shows lately. What are your favorite TV shows to watch?
I loved Friday Night Lights. I actually just finished watching the final season and cried through the entire thing. I’m going to miss that show a lot. I love The Good Wife, and I watch 30 Rock and Modern Family.

What about reality shows? Any favorites?
To be honest, I don’t watch any. I always feel out of the loop because everyone is always talking about different shows, and I’m like, “What?” I remember I had never even heard of Jersey Shore, and at one point, someone said something about, “Did you hear what happened with The Situation?” I was like, “What situation?” They were like, “No, The Situation.” I totally didn’t understand. I still don’t completely understand how someone’s name is The Situation. I am definitely, definitely in the dark when it comes to reality shows.

You’ve been engaged in the past (to House costar Jesse Spencer). Do you think you’ll go down that road again?
I guess, probably. I try not to make a decision about aiming for something. It’s just more about letting life be what it is and sort of accepting what it is, instead of hoping it would be different.

Now you’re dating Prison Break star Amaury Nolasco. What do you two like to do on date nights?
Right now, we are in two different cities all the time. So being in the same city is enough. We eat at restaurants that we love, and we go see movies. We’re pretty normal.

Is it hard having a long-distance relationship?
Of course it is. You want to always be around the person that you love.

Do you see kids in your future?
Yeah, I think I’ve always assumed at some point I would have a family of my own. I don’t know when, but at some point

Have you even been starstruck around another celebrity?
I am a huge fan of Annette Bening. I was on the carpet next to her once, and I totally didn’t have the guts to say anything. Looking back I was like, “Why didn’t I just say something?” I’ve definitely had those moments of feeling like I have no idea how to form a proper sentence when it’s someone I really have that much respect for.

What would you do if you weren’t an actress?
I would probably be a teacher. My family is all teachers, and I grew up around that. I used to actually teach children’s theater years ago, and I really enjoyed it.

What’s one job you think you’d be really bad at?
Well, I probably would have said being a doctor. But now that I’ve been on House for so many years, and I’ve been around so much fake blood, I think I would be a lot calmer than I would have thought.

So being around fake blood has made you better around real blood?
I think it has. In a weird way, your brain gets used to it, instead of being so squeamish. But I know for sure I’d be a terrible flight attendant because I’m terrified of flying. I do it all the time, and I’m just miserable.

Do you do anything to help you get through it?
I mean, I’m fine once we get to 10,000 feet. As long as I can get through the first part, I’m okay. I think my brain actually thinks my fear is holding the plane up. I think, “Well, if I stop being afraid it’s going to fall.”