Alix Wilton Regan Discusses Filming Lara Croft Action Scenes During Her Period

Alix Wilton Regan has offered an unusually candid look at the physical and emotional reality behind bringing Lara Croft to life for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. During a podcast appearance, the actor discussed working through demanding performance-capture action scenes while on her period, addressing a subject that is rarely given space in conversations about video game performance, stunt work, or action heroes.

Regan, whose previous game credits include Cyberpunk 2077 and Dragon Age, spoke about the confidence involved in stepping into one of games' most recognizable roles. That confidence is not necessarily automatic, especially during shoots requiring a close-fitting motion-capture suit, extensive physical movement, and the kind of cool, assured body language audiences associate with Lara Croft. Her point was straightforward: performers are people, and a physically intensive workday does not pause because someone is dealing with a normal part of life.

"Occasionally I'm on my period the week that we film," Regan said. "And you know, that's okay." She then reflected on the character herself, imagining that if Lara were treated as a real woman rather than an untouchable action icon, she too would have faced adventures at times when she was menstruating.

It is a simple observation, but it cuts through an old habit of action storytelling. Women in adventure games have frequently been expected to look permanently composed, untroubled, and physically invulnerable, even when they are climbing ruins, surviving disasters, or battling enemies. Lara Croft has been at the center of that conversation for decades. She is an enduring symbol of video game action, but she is also a character whose presentation has changed dramatically as the series has evolved.

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A practical perspective on an action icon

Regan did not frame the topic as a grand revelation. Instead, she treated it as something ordinary that deserves to be discussed without discomfort. She pushed back against the awkwardness that can emerge when menstruation is mentioned in professional settings, arguing that it is a natural bodily function rather than a taboo subject.

That perspective matters particularly in performance capture. Audiences may eventually see a polished digital character moving through a tomb, navigating a collapsing environment, or preparing for a fight. Behind that result, however, is an actor in a studio translating character, rhythm, physicality, and emotion into data that animators and developers can build upon. The work can involve repeated takes, carefully choreographed motion, technical equipment, and a need to remain connected to the role despite the artificial surroundings of a capture stage.

For a character such as Lara, the performance also has to communicate authority. Even in quiet scenes, Lara Croft's presence is central to the fantasy of the series. She needs to seem alert, capable, driven, and ready to take charge. Regan said that on days when she may not be feeling especially confident or "sassy," embodying Lara can help her reach the character's particular energy.

"On weeks where you do feel like, 'I'm on my period, or I'm not as confident, or I'm not feeling as sassy or as cool,' it's just something about Lara that gets you there," Regan said.

The comment highlights an interesting relationship between actor and character. The role can demand confidence, but its costumes, props, and physical choices can also help create that confidence. For Regan, the familiar elements of Lara's gear are not merely decorative references to the franchise. They are practical tools that alter how she stands and moves.

Why Lara's holster makes a difference

Regan specifically pointed to Lara Croft's dual pistols and holster. On the performance-capture stage, she is able to wear the holster, and she said the effect is immediate. Even when a scene does not require Lara to use her weapons, Regan asks to have the holster because of the way it changes her physical bearing.

The weight and bulk around the thighs create a more grounded feeling, she explained. In practical terms, that shifts her center of gravity and helps her feel rooted. For an action performer, that can influence posture, stance, timing, and the sense of stability that carries through a movement. It also supports the character's recognizable swagger: Lara does not simply carry equipment; she moves as someone accustomed to relying on it.

"You put those dual pistols on," Regan said, "because on the PCAP stage, I get to put the holster on. And instantly you feel confident and you feel really grounded." She added that the gear gives her a feeling of strength.

That detail is a reminder of why costume and prop work remain important even in a medium where the final model, clothing, and objects are digital. A performance-capture actor does not need a screen-accurate artifact for every moment, but physical reference points can provide useful feedback. Something tangible can tell the body where weight sits, how a hip should turn, where a hand naturally rests, or how a character's silhouette affects their balance.

In Lara's case, the holsters are also loaded with decades of visual history. The twin pistols are among the defining pieces of her classic image. They signal a version of Lara who is prepared, stylish, and formidable. Having that iconography physically present in the studio may help bridge the gap between an actor in capture equipment and the legendary adventurer players recognize.

Humanity behind the performance capture

Regan's comments arrive at a time when players are increasingly interested in the work that goes into game performances. Motion capture and performance capture have made actors more visible within the development process, but the most human elements of that work are still often left out of promotional conversations. Discussions tend to focus on technology, star casting, facial rigs, combat choreography, and cinematic storytelling. The everyday realities of working through fatigue, discomfort, nerves, or changing confidence levels receive far less attention.

There is no suggestion that menstruation makes a performer unable to do the job. Regan's point is almost the opposite: it is a normal condition that performers can work through, while still deserving understanding rather than silence. By speaking openly, she places the experience alongside all the other practical considerations involved in a physically demanding shoot.

It also offers a more grounded way to think about Lara Croft. The character's appeal has always rested partly on extraordinary capability. She travels to dangerous places, solves ancient mysteries, survives impossible situations, and repeatedly pushes forward when others would stop. Yet acknowledging ordinary human realities does not diminish that strength. If anything, it makes the idea of resilience more meaningful.

For a franchise built around adventure, danger, and endurance, that distinction is valuable. A hero does not need to be unrealistically untouched by the body to be powerful. Regan's comments suggest that strength can be found in adaptation, preparation, and finding the tools that help someone inhabit confidence when they do not naturally feel it.

Lara Croft's evolving legacy

Tomb Raider has always had to balance the instantly recognizable symbols of Lara Croft with changing expectations around characterization. The holsters, pistols, athletic movement, and archaeological ambition remain essential parts of the broader identity. At the same time, modern portrayals have often sought greater emotional texture and a stronger sense of vulnerability, determination, and personal stakes.

Regan's discussion sits naturally within that evolution. It is not about changing Lara into someone less capable. It is about allowing both the character and the performer behind her to feel more complete. The confidence associated with Lara is still there, but it is treated as something that can be accessed through ritual, posture, costume, and commitment--not simply an effortless trait that appears on command.

That is especially fitting for performance capture, where small physical details can become part of a character's identity. A lowered stance, a grounded step, or the instinctive awareness of equipment at the hip may all feed into the final performance. Players may never know which individual choice informed a particular animation or scene, but those choices accumulate into the impression that Lara Croft is present and believable.

Regan's willingness to discuss menstruation openly broadens the conversation around who gets to be an action hero and what action performance looks like in reality. It does so without making the subject sensational. Her message is simply that a performer can have an off week, feel less confident, put on Lara Croft's iconic gear, and find a way to feel stronger.

For an adventurer defined by persistence, that may be one of the most fitting insights possible. Lara Croft's confidence is not just about never being shaken. It is about continuing forward, finding one's footing, and taking the next step into the unknown.