Elena Sanchez has never been one to shy away from a challenge. The Spanish-German actress, who has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, has grossed over $10 billion worldwide at the box office and is set to take center stage in the action thriller “Neglected,” opening in theaters May 8th.
In the film, Sanchez plays Detective Keyes alongside Josh Duhamel, Dylan Sprouse, and Til Schweiger. The story follows a detective racing to solve three murder cases in order to find a son buried alive by a dangerous serial killer, a ticking clock premise that demanded everything the cast had to give.
“Josh, Dylan, and Til all play incredibly powerful characters,” Sanchez said. “As the female lead, I definitely wanted to bring some femininity to the role, but seeing as she is a detective, she needed to be strong and capable of what her job requires of her. I also wanted to make sure that Detective Keyes brought some balance to the story and stayed grounded, but was a positive force.”
Filmed on location at a real Mississippi police station, the production offered the cast an unexpected resource: real officers willing to consult on how their characters would respond in high-pressure situations.
“What was really cool and unexpected was that because we were filming at a real police station, we were able to get a lot of advice from the police officers there about how our characters would be reacting in different situations,” Sanchez said. “That adds a layer of realism to the film that we were very lucky to have.”
The production moved quickly. Sanchez noted the entire cast was brought on at the last minute, leaving little room for downtime between scenes.
“There wasn’t much downtime for me on set, because in between scenes, I was preparing for the scenes that we hadn’t shot yet,” she said. “Josh and I were often running lines with each other.”
Sustaining that level of intensity over the course of a shoot takes deliberate self-care, Sanchez said.
“When you’re filming tense movies like this, it can often feel like you’re in fight or flight mode. Your brain works overtime if it’s constantly on alert, even if it’s just acting,” she said. “That’s why taking care of your body and mind is really important. I make sure I’m getting enough sleep, eating right, and staying hydrated.”
The film marks another significant credit in an already wide-ranging career. Born in Germany to a German mother and a Spanish father, Sanchez began performing as a child in stage productions before studying at Cornell University, the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
Her film debut came in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” where she portrayed Cecelia, the tribute from District 8. She has since acted opposite Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Tim Roth, and performed stunt work alongside Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, and Chris Pratt.
On television, she has appeared on CBS’s “NCIS: New Orleans,” FOX’s “Sleepy Hollow” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” where she memorably dispatched villain Sebastian Milton in the series’ final season.
Her stunt work has earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble for “Avengers: Endgame,” five additional SAG nominations, and two Taurus World Stunt Award nominations.
Most recently, she appeared in Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which premiered theatrically on Valentine’s Day 2025.
As for what comes after “Neglected,” Sanchez is already looking ahead to the holidays.
“My next project is ‘Jumanji: Open World,’ which will be in theaters on Christmas Day,” she said. “It’ll be the perfect movie to watch with your family over the holidays.”
“Neglected” opens in theaters May 8th.
