Jackie Carrizosa

The former US Navy officer who trained Rihanna ahead of her Battleship appearance has spoken about what it was like to work with the star. Jackie Carrizosa, a weapons expert at Machine Gun Vegas, who spent a month teaching RiRi how to hold guns and talk like a Navy officer in order to convincingly play her character, has said that the singer was even tougher than her stunt double. The 22-year-old was drafted in to help out on set after director Peter Berg spotted her playing football with the US Navy. Jackie said: 'We were on set from sunrise to sunset — Rihanna was really tough. She was way better than her stunt double. She’s not afraid to get bruised or cut'. She added that Rihanna hugely enjoyed handling guns.
Jackie said: 'When it was time to shoot I told her not to be nervous and to have fun with it. When she finished she was grinning from ear to ear and said, ‘I see why you love this stuff. I showed her how to hold the gun so she’d look a little more professional. And there is one scene where she was dragging one of the guys out and I helped her out with how to pick him up'.
Jackie admitted that since she doesn't watch television she was only vaguely aware of Rihanna as a pop star before she met her, but that Berg persuaded her to join the film when he sent her a message after watching her play football. Rihanna came to base her entire character on Jackie. This was encouraged by director Peter, who was intrigued by Jackie's tomboy personality, and willingness to throw herself into traditionally 'male' activities without holding back.