I was scared of sharks: Blake Lively on filming 'The Shallows'

Actress Blake Lively says she actually swimmed with sharks for the 2016 drama thriller "The Shallows" and it was a scary experience.
The 29-year-old star revealed she went cage diving with great white sharks before starting her film's shoot which left her terrified.
"I went cage diving with great white sharks before we started filming. Sharks are so villainised that I was scared of them. But I had just got my diving license, I was very excited to dive but was also terrified of sharks.
"I went with a conservationist, who was looking at them in a respectful way. The sharks were just swimming, playing, jumping out of the water with their mouths open, it was a beautiful sight. I remember taking a picture of the moment and sharing it with friends, putting it on Instagram, people told me that that's the scariest photograph. Being there wasn't a scary moment, it was a really cool moment," she said.

Talking about the film she said it depicts the sharks' struggle for survival.
"The movie is about the power to survive and the power of will. When I read the script, I imagined, 'What would I do in such situation?' The way my character Nancy fights to survive is pretty incredible. What's interesting about this film is that you immediately imagine yourself in the situation and you think, "I don't know if I will survive that," she said.

When asked what prompted her to do this role, Lively said she wanted to change the perception of the people about sharks which are looked upon as monsters.

"One of the reason for doing this film is there is a justification for the shark attack. Nancy swam upon his feeding grounds and that is one of the reason he attacks her.
"It's interesting how sharks are being put closer to shores because of global warming that is really threatening because you think when you are on the shore you are safe and in the deep ocean you are not.
"Also, because the shark is very much a movie monster, it's fictionalised that sharks only behave this way. I think that's important to use this as an opportunity to say go see this movie, jump out of your seats and get scared of this monster. But also know that this is not happening in real life and we got to protect these creatures because they are amazing and they are near extinction because of human beings," she added.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is releasing the film in India on September 16.