FOX's new series 'Ultimate Tag' takes the classic game to a whole new adrenaline-fueled level
NFL superstar and 'Ultimate Tag' host J.J. Watt previews FOX's new action-packed competition show.
When professional CrossFitter and dancer Brooke Ence received a phone call from her assistant about a producer who was eagerly trying to get a hold of her and wanted to speak with Ence personally, she was addled.
Ence told Fox News she was taken aback by the idea that someone wanted her to be a part of something so fresh and innovative like “Ultimate Tag” on FOX, hosted by the Watt brothers: J.J., T.J. and Derek.
“Well, it's so funny how I got into that because we filmed this last year and my assistant called me on the go,” Ence explained during a phone conversation ahead of the premiere of the competition series. “It was a Friday and it was, like, two in the afternoon -- she's like, ‘Hey the producers of this show want to talk to you. They just want to call you directly.’”
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Ence -- who has previously appeared in superhero films such as “Wonder Woman” and “Justice League" -- explained that the producers of the show relayed to her that they had been trying to get a hold of her in order to bring her to Los Angeles where she would tape the high-intensity game of ultimate tag.
“They said, 'Honestly, we've been trying to get a hold of you and I've been thinking about you for a long time,’” she said of the producers.
"And I don't know how they weren't able to reach out to me but I think a lot of it had to do with -- I'm really talking about the entertainment world -- I've done a little bit, but I feel like such a newbie getting an understanding of how things work, and they were trying to find a lot of people that were local, which made sense," said the former gymnast and owner of the skincare line Athia, which she created for active mothers, businesswomen and professional athletes.
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According to Ence, the producers also ran down the premise that she would be a “tagger” and that her only mission would be to stop the competition from reaching the finish line on an obstacle course. Her name: The Boss.
After she accepted the opportunity, Ence -- who splits her time between Northern California and Utah, where she attended the University of Utah as a dance major -- recalled being given mere hours before she needed to be in Los Angeles to begin taping the show.
“[A producer was] like, 'Can you come down today?' And I was like, ‘No way, it’s two in the afternoon,” she said. “And I flew down there -- I packed a bag and I got a same-day flight, in and out. Got there, went in and didn't really know anything about it.”
Actress and CrossFitter Brooke Ence arrives at the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Justice League' at the Dolby Theatre on November 13, 2017, in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage)
Ence continued: “So I go into Warner Bros. and they've got, like, this big obstacle-type course set up and I'm just watching and there are tons of people there. And at this point, I didn't really have an idea that I was the only spot they were filling.”
Ence finally got her shot to demonstrate to producers what she could do on the course, and her showing was impressive. She said she had no doubt in her mind she would make a name for herself on the program based on her history as an athlete.
I wouldn't say that I'm intimidating, but I have been told that I'm intimidating. But usually by people [who] have never met me.
“I grew up playing sports. I danced all the time growing up, I danced in college and then I did CrossFit. I'm definitely an athlete,” she said. “You know, there are CrossFitters [who] are athletes and there are CrossFitters [who] are really good at working out.
"And it's such a great edge to have if you [have] actually played sports and you're an athlete, because you learn things that you develop when you're young and you develop those things by playing sports -- agility, speed, power like being able to adjust on the fly, quick thinking," Ence noted. "It's just a lot of stuff that comes into play when you play sports and when other people are involved.”
Ence went on to explain that she ran the course and was told not to leave because they were going to have a decision by the end of the day, so she went to a mall. Then, the next call Ence received changed the course of her trajectory.
Brooke Ence attends the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' 'Wonder Woman' at the Pantages Theatre on May 25, 2017, in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by JB Lacroix/WireImage)
“I finally got a phone call -- and they want me. They wanted me to just stay,” she said. “And I was like, 'Well I don't have any of my stuff with me' [that] I was going to need in L.A. for two weeks of filming. So they switched my flight. I flew home that night. I packed all my stuff and I flew back the following day, on Sunday. And then we started filming on Monday.”
Ence said landing the coveted spot on the FOX series aided in helping her overcome the negativity of detractors who might “underestimate” her savviness in business or as a training instructor because she’s a woman.
“When I first started coaching full-time, there were always some people who -- men usually -- they approached it like they weren't going to want to listen to what you had to say and like they knew more than you,” she explained. “And for me, it really just turned into finding the right mix of having a really strong voice in the way you carry yourself when you're in that role and trying to also not be too strong where you become not approachable.”
“And I think that I've found that for me, I wouldn't say that I'm intimidating but I have been told that I'm intimidating. But usually by people [who] have never met me. They don't know me. They've never talked to me,” Ence continued. “In business, that sort of strong backbone in the way that I deliver my thoughts freely, speaking when it's working with business partners, like if I have an idea -- saying it but also being willing to accept that someone else might have a better idea.”
Ence said through her corporate ventures, she’s been able to use all of her skills as an athlete and businesswoman to develop strong relationships that have helped her in her career, and also takes the Dolly Parton approach of learning when to speak up and when to learn the game.
“I’m willing to accept it that I could have something better and also be able to admit when I’m wrong. Those are all things that you need to be able to do,” she said. “And when you do those things, it doesn't mean that you take a step back in having that sort of strong approach, it's showing that you know how to lead because you've been through a situation. And now you're here.”
“You're strong and you know what you want,” she added. “But for me, it's like I'm always looking for the best play for the business or this thing or this class to be successful. And if someone else has a better idea than what I have, then that's great. I'm just learning from you.”
“Ultimate Tag” premieres May 20 at 9 p.m. EST on FOX.
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