8.
Rodriguez also
wasn’t
thrilled
with
the
initial
version
of Letty
Ortiz,
which
had
her
as
more
of
a
one-note
sexy Latina
girlfriend
and
involved
a
love
triangle
between
her,
Dom
and
Brian.
“It
was
a
reality
check
for
them
to
realize
that
the
streets
don’t
work
like
that,”
Rodriguez
told EW
for
a
2021
oral
history
of
the
film. “You
don’t
just
get
with
a
guy
because
he’s
hot.
There’s
a
hierarchy
there.
Can
that
hot
guy
get
beat
up
by
who
you’re
dating?
If
he
can,
then
you
don’t
date
him,
because
why
would
you
want
to
lose
the
hierarchy?
In
order
to
keep
it
real,
I
had
to
school
them: ‘I
know
you
guys
like
Hollywood
and
all
that,
but
if
you
want
it
to
be
realistic,
this
is
how
it
really
works,
and
I’m
not
going
to
be
a
slut
in
front
of
millions
of
people,
so
you’re
going
to
lose
me
if
you
don’t
change
this.’
And
they
figured
it
out.”
As
Brewster
recalled
it
appreciatively, “When
Michelle
read
her
role,
she
was
like, ‘No,
I’m
not
playing
that.’
And
then
she
changed
it
completely.
It
went
from
a
trophy
girlfriend
to
this
really
layered
character.”
Walker
told
E!
News
of
his
co-star,
who
was
appearing
in
only
her
second
movie
ever
after
her
breakout
in
Girlfight, “Michelle
Rodriguez
probably
plays
one
of
the
toughest
characters
you’ve
ever
seen
in
a
movie.
From
knocking
out
a
guy
to
some
of
those
driving
sequences,
she’s
just
a
tough,
really
cool
character.”
Reflecting
on
the
input
she’d
had
in
the
franchise
over
the
years,
Rodriguez
told Entertainment
Weekly in
2017, “At
the
end
of
the
day,
the
only
leverage
I
have
as
an
individual
is
my
participation.
That’s
the
only
leverage
I
ever
use
with
anything.
It’s
like,
look,
this
doesn’t
agree
with
my
ethics,
morals.
My
heart
doesn’t
feel
right
doing
this
in
front
of
millions
of
people,
so
I
can
always
oblige
myself
and
depart
because
money,
to
me,
isn’t
as
important
as
my
lines
that
you’re
not
allowed
to
cross.”
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