Featuring Worcester Fiery Grizelda Ayala

By Christine R. Walsh

“Final Fight,” an action/drama flick filled with intense emotion and crazy martial arts battle scenes, promises to keep cine-a-junkies on the edge of their seats ~ and much of the thanks can be attributed to hot leading lady Grizelda Ayala.

Ayala, 32, spent a substantial portion of her childhood in Worcester, attending South High School and taking classes at the Worcester Art Museum. Her first loves were drawing and painting and she excelled at both, earning a scholarship to study art at the tender age of 13. But eventually, her sparkling spirit, bold attitude and a move to Texas encouraged her to create and express herself through acting.

“I had worked with [“Final Fight” director] Michelangelo Comulada before on his independent movie ‘The Briefcase.’ I was an extra. Glenn Bradley [producer of “Final Fight”] saw how motivated I was and how hard I worked. I told him about the modeling and extra work I had done and he suggested I try out for ‘Final Fight.’”

Ayala is truly living the dream of any extra who has ever arrived on set at 5am in the hopes of being visible in at least one frame of film. But “Final Fight” was a demanding project that required all of her concentration. She plays the role of Priscilla, a seductress hired by the mafia. Her main duty is to distract Detective Alex Strickland (played by Glenn Bradley) from getting too close to finding out who killed his former partner. If Strickland discovers the truth, many high officials will find themselves in the hotseat.

“Priscilla is flirty and seductive, but there is also a childlike innocence about her,” Ayala said of her character. “She’s trying not to give away who she really is and what she is really capable of.”

In order to prepare for her scenes, Ayala would clear her thoughts and call to mind different experiences she’d had in her own life in order to fuel her character’s fire. When Priscilla was simply trying to seduce the detective because it was what the mafia had ordered her to do, Ayala would think back to a first date when she was running on pure adrenaline and nerves and would then use that energy. When the time came for Priscilla to reveal her true personality, Ayala remembered periods in her past that had been especially hard on her and allowed those emotions to guide her on set. These tactics and the support of a talented and polished cast created the heart-stopping, suspenseful film.

“Final Fight” ended its postproduction phase in March and will be released later in 2008. Ayala is keeping her schedule packed to the brim with projects. She is still drawing and painting, but she has branched out in another artistic direction as well.

“I’ve been asked to play leading roles in some upcoming films,” she said. “And I’ve got a script that is being reviewed by one of the television channels in Texas. We’re waiting for funding with that project. I just thought to myself, ‘Why not put my ideas together, write it down and give it to someone who might like it?’ You have to try because life is short. Get your creative stuff out there.”

For more information on “Final Fight,” go to www.finalfightmovie.com