Alicia Vikander went through intense training for 'Tomb Raider' role

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Oscar winner Alicia Vikander is the new Lara Croft in the rebooted "Tomb Raider."

She acknowledges it was a very physical endeavor making this movie - but she also says working out and getting in shape for the film was a gift.

"Sometimes I find it as the most wonderful perk about my job, because for films sometimes you need to learn an instrument or a language or a skill and here I got to rock climb, I got to train with some incredible women, MMA training, I got to box, I got to swim, I got to bicycle," said Vikander. "I was very fortunate to get to try and do these things."

Vikander says she kept a close, and envious, eye on all the stuntwomen on the film's set. The director and the script challenged her to always push her physical limits. That included numerous pullups.

"I was like it's against nature, laws of nature for me to do it but after three or four months I was able to do quite a few," said Vikander.

Vikander may have won her Oscar for her supporting role in "The Danish Girl," but when she was growing up, she preferred action in her movies, like the Indiana Jones series.

"I love those films," said Vikander. "I grew up watching Indiana Jones and 'The Mummy.' That's one my of favorite genres, and a big reason I wanted to be part of this film."

"Tomb Raider" is rated PG-13 and is in theaters March 16.