by When Chris Hemsworth first heard about the opportunity to play legendary 1970s Formula One driver James Hunt in the Ron Howard directed film “Rush,” he was hesitant to take on the role. The hard-partying, relentlessly competitive driver known as “Hunt the Shunt” for his collision-filled style seemed like a daunting figure to try to emulate on the big screen. However, it was one hilarious secret about Hunt’s personality that made Hemsworth realize he couldn’t say no.
As Hemsworth dove into research about Hunt and read more about his reputation as a practical joker behind the scenes in the high-stakes world of Formula One racing, the Aussie actor realized there was more to this icon of speed than met the eye. The outrageous, risky behavior Hunt displayed on the track and in his glamorous personal life only told part of the story. Behind the brash, devil-may-care persona, Hunt had a remarkably sharp wit and clever sense of humor that endeared him to friends and rivals alike in the racing scene of the 1970s.
“The more I learned about Hunt’s sense of humor and the great lengths he would go to pull off an elaborate prank, the more I knew I wanted to try to capture that mischievous spirit,” Hemsworth said in an interview about taking on the role. “He was completely committed to living life full throttle, but he also knew when to use humor to cut through tense situations in the high pressure world of Formula One. That combination was something I wanted to try to portray on screen.”
Hemsworth specifically pointed to hilarious accounts of Hunt placing whoopee cushions under the seat cushions of rival drivers’ cars before races. In the ultra competitive world of Formula One where races are often won by splits seconds, even the slightest distraction or annoyance could be the difference between victory and defeat. So for Hunt to introduce these adolescent but clever gags showed he was a wildcard who lived to get inside his opponents’ heads.
“Can you imagine strapping yourself into this precision engineered racing machine you’ve been preparing with your crew for weeks, completely focused on the race ahead, only to start settling into the seat and get hit with a loud raspberry?” Hemsworth said with a laugh. “What Hunt was doing was pretty next level psychological warfare through just simple, childish humor. I just loved that aspect of his personality.”
Hemsworth also shared an anecdote Hunt’s biographers shared about one Monaco Grand Prix where the British racing icon hired an attractive local woman to run across the track naked during a qualifying session wearing only Hunt’s racing helmet. As drivers navigated the tight circuit pushing themselves and their cars to the limit, the random spectacle of a red helmet clad nude woman running past them was apparently distracting and outrageous enough to get the qualifying session red flagged. When reporters tracked down the orchestrator of the stunt, Hunt just shrugged it off as another one of his gags.
“He had no shame about pulling off audacious stunts like that that definitely crossed normal lines of acceptable behavior,” Hemsworth said. “But he was able to get away with things like that because he just played it totally deadpan like it was all just good fun. People were drawn to that magnetism he had.”
Though Hunt tragically died of a sudden heart attack in 1993 at the still young age of 45, friends and contemporaries in the racing world still share stories of his madcap pranks and the laughter he elicited throughout his career. It was this hidden side to Hunt’s public image that convinced Hemsworth to embrace the challenge of bringing this larger than life persona to cinematic life.
Early Critical Praise Validates Hemsworth’s Embrace of Hunt’s Humor
Since “Rush” premiered in September 2013 in advance of its wide theatrical release, critics have been heaping praise upon Hemsworth’s performance in particular as the man behind the wheel and machismo of James Hunt. Many reviews have specifically pointed to Hemsworth’s ability to capture Hunt’s paradoxical personality that balanced his competitive intensity with his lighthearted humor that kept friends and rivals alike on their toes.
Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers raved that “Hemsworth nails the contradiction in Hunt as both contemptuous ladies’ man and haunted perfectionist.” Travers said the scenes that best captured Hemsworth’s strong suit in the role were during Hunt’s playful ribbing and mind games with his arch rival in the film, German driver Niki Lauda.
“Whether simply mocking Lauda’s prominent buck teeth or ratcheting up the head games by stealing the cap off his rival’s head, Hemsworth shows real comic chops playing Hunt as the Roger Federer of head games in 70s Formula One,” Travers wrote.
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter also keyed in on how Hemsworth flexed his comedic talents playing Hunt in “Rush” as a key reason the film and his performance stood out among other recent racing films.
“Hemsworth also reveals considerable comic ability and perspective in playing a character who, if he had lived, very likely would have been asked to play himself; it’s easy to imagine him quickly understanding just how absurd he was,” McCarthy wrote.
In an interview with USA Today, director Ron Howard explained how allowing Hemsworth to tap into Hunt’s humorous dimension was a key part of getting the most multidimensional performance possible. Though Hemsworth put in the work with the real driving and stunt training required for the action sequences, Howard was adamant that the comedy beats would give Hemsworth the showcase he deserved.
“We had serious talks about how to bring out the humor that was so much a part of James Hunt’s personality,” Howard said. “There were stories of legendary practical jokes he pulled that I told Chris he had to have the confidence in himself to go for playing on screen even if the jokes didn’t always land perfectly. The fact that Chris could show that funny, unpredictable side in playing Hunt gives the performance so much heart I think.”
Off Screen Friendship with Thor Co-Star Tom Hiddleston Enhances On Screen Rivalry
Another key ingredient that Hemsworth said helped make the telling of James Hunt’s story in “Rush” come together was the casting of his friend and fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe star Tom Hiddleston as Niki Lauda. Hiddleston bulked up considerably and shaved his head to transform himself into Hunt’s obsessive, data-driven rival. But because the two actors were already great friends sharing the screen together in several “Thor” and “Avengers” films as the iconic Asgardian brothers Loki and Thor, their natural rapport established an excellent foundation for their adversarial dynamic as rival Formula One champions.
“Going from playing brothers to bitter enemies definitely allowed us to find that competitive spark quickly and easily,” Hemsworth told Entertainment Weekly. “We obviously get along famously in real life, but we used our knowledge of each other to tap into little habits or speech patterns that can unexpectedly irritate you and get under your skin over time when it’s in the context of a bitter rivalry.”
Hiddleston also shared in interviews ahead of the film’s release that because he and Hemsworth had worked together so often in films centered around cosmic, godlike characters where everything is so large than life, getting the chance to play these very real, very human rivals offered a refreshing change of pace that challenged their acting chops in all new ways.
“Chris and I were both eager to sink our teeth into playing these real life rivals and all the nuances of their relationship,” Hiddleston told Collider. “It actually helped our process that we knew each other’s little tricks so well already. It made it easier to know what subtle bit of behavior would really bug your on screen nemesis.”
That existing comradery allowed them the comfort level to improvise and experiment with bringing different shades and manifestations of the Hunt/Lauda rivalry to life. Having a strong off screen friendship as their foundation, Hiddleston said, made it safer for them to push each other into giving their most intense on screen performances.
“Some of my favorite moments shooting were when Chris would be in the makeup trailer applying these prosthetic buck teeth they gave him to exaggerated Niki’s sort of rodent-like front teeth,” Hiddleston shared. “In the mirror, I would catch sight of Chris chomping down on this big wad of fake gum and doing this silly exaggerated impression of Niki’s Austrian accent, just really hamming it up trying to get me to break character and laugh. I couldn’t resist joining in trying my best imitation of Hunt’s playboy swagger to get back at Chris. It kept the mood on set loose even during some incredibly challenging shoots.”
Hemsworth Credits Comic Background for 360 Degree Portrayal
In multiple interviews, Hemsworth has credited growing up with a strong comedic background in Australia for preparing him to tap into James Hunt’s trademark humor. Early in his acting career, Hemsworth cut his teeth in the Australian indie comedy series “The Saddle Club” and various Down Under sitcoms. Before breaking through by capturing the coveted title role in Marvel’s 2011 “Thor” that propelled him to global stardom, Hemsworth appreciates learning to flex his comic muscles in low stakes projects as a key asset.
“I don’t think I would have had the confidence to tackle a larger-than-life persona like James Hunt without those early experiences figuring out how to use my sense of humor on camera,” Hemsworth said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote “Rush.” “It’s actually more nerve-wracking in a lot of ways to try your hand at comedy than these brooding superhero roles where you can hide behind a cape or a costume or visual effects.”
Howard also spoke about how Hemsworth constantly downplayed his own comic abilities, so the director made it his personal mission to coax the humorous dimension of playing Hunt onto the screen. In one pivotal scene for example, Howard elected to roll cameras on Hemsworth waking up after a long night of partying. He wanted to capture Hemsworth attempting to shake off his character’s hangover and engage in clever banter with reporters the morning of a big race.
“Chris kept trying to dodge me about shooting that scene saying playing drunk humor wasn’t his strength,” Howard said. “I just told him to go for it improvising, draw on his own most painfully hungover mornings. Sure enough, the wit and humor Chris found putting Hunt in that state trying to keep up his playboy image was the funniest part of the whole film.”
Legacy of Portraying James Hunt’s Humor
By all critical accounts, Howard’s instincts to make Hunt’s humor a focal point and let Hemsworth off the leash comedically paid tremendous dividends in the rave reviews “Rush” and Hemsworth’s performance received when the film hit theaters. Not only did critics finally see Hemsworth clearly demonstrate leading man chops beyond wielding medieval weaponry in other blockbusters, but it established a template for the versatile star going forward. Hemsworth has continuously mentioned the lessons learned unveiling James Hunt’s humorous dimensions as giving him confidence to reveal his comedic skills in subsequent films like the “Ghostbusters” reboot and “Vacation” spinoff.
But most importantly, Hemsworth giving such a well rounded portrayal of the man behind Formula One racing’s pillar of outrageous bravado in the 1970s shined a spotlight on a side of James Hunt that had started to fade from public consciousness. Yes, Hunt’s professional rivalry with Lauda and death defying racing exploits solidified his legend as the era’s preeminent swashbuckling daredevil speed king. But Hemsworth resurrecting Hunt’s impish trickster humor let audiences truly grasp what made “Hunt the Shunt” stand out as a singular personality fans couldn’t help but root for.
Thanks to Hemsworth’s dedication to unmasking this humorous secret lurking below James Hunt’s flamboyant public persona, the legendary driver’s legacy feels more complete. Hemsworth’s performance uncovered facets of a Formula One icon that sons and daughters of 1970s racing fans never realized hid beneath their hero’s playboy veneer. It’s a credit to Hemsworth’s charm and comedic instincts that this nuanced, playful side of James Hunt has been preserved to entertain and inspire new generations. They’ll undoubtedly be bracing themselves for whoopee cushions under their race seats thanks to Hemsworth sharing this hidden dimension of a racing legend.
