Eiza Gonzalez was shocked when Guy Ritchie cast her in 'Fountain of Youth'.

The 35-year-old actress thought the esteemed 56-year-old film director was "joking" after he got her involved in three back-to-back projects, including 2024's action war movie 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' and 2025's action flick 'In the Grey'.

Eiza told SFX magazine: "I was like, 'There's no way that Guy would want me [again].' And in December, right after the holidays - because the holidays can be, kind of, grim sometimes - I was just by myself in Los Angeles, and I got a call, 'You've got the offer.'

"I was like, 'You're joking?'"

The star plays Esme in the 'Fountain of Youth' - which sees Luke Purdue (John Krasinski), the estranged brother of Charlotte Purdue (Natalie Portman), team up with his sibling for a worldwide hunt to find the mythological titular fountain in the film.

And the first thing Eiza thought of to get in character was to chop her hair off.

The 'Ash' star explained: "The first thing I said is, 'I think we need to cut my hair off.' Completely change my look.

"Look very different to what we did before. I want to make her completely her own."

Esme is a "protector" and described the character to the New York Times as "machiavellian fun, a huge enigma and kind of a poker face, but a sassy and witty girl".

And Eiza loved playing her.

She continued: "She's just a great character to be able to play. She's just so multifaceted and fun in a very Guy Ritchie way.

"She's, kind of, following this crew of talented people and trying to find out what they're trying to do, because she has ulterior motives."

The 'Baby Driver' actress loves taking risks and pushing herself to perform at her very best, and Eiza thinks this encouraged Guy to cast her in 'Fountain of Youth'.

She told the New York Times: "I think he really enjoys someone that is willing to take risks and play and push themselves, and he saw a lot of desire in me."

John Krasinski gushed his praise for Guy's work on 'Fountain of Youth', and it has made John feel proud that he can add the flick to his list of acting credits.

The 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' star said: "This is one of those movies where you'll look back and go, 'I'm so glad I did this.'"

And the dad-of-two - Hazel, 10, and Violet, seven, who he has with his wife Emily Blunt - is thrilled that he can finally show his bundles of joy a movie he is in and that he can shut down Hazel and Violet's beliefs that he was an "accountant".

John said: "My kids are 10 and about to be eight, and Guy just showed them the opening of the movie, and they were like, 'When's this coming out?'

"I think they thought I was an accountant before. They can't watch 'A Quiet Place' or 'Jack Ryan'. So they're like, 'Where do you go every day?'

"And now they know!"