With Ron Howard's new movie, Rush, about the 1976 Formula One season, coming out next month, we're starting to learn more about the characters behind the film. And trust me, they really were characters.
Chris Hemsworth plays James Hunt, AKA "Hunt the Shunt," who was known for his insane tail-happy driving style on the track and for essentially being a constant drug- and sex-fueled party off it. Despite being no Wilt Chamberlain, James Hunt still claimed to have slept with 5,000 women in his lifetime, including 33 British Airways hostesses in just two weeks before a race. This trailer gives a look at just a little bit of the swagger this man carried everywhere he went.
For what its worth, Hemsworth told Us Weekly that he was worried about fitting into an F1 car at first, as he had to drop a bunch of weight after filming Thor:
"Thor is large," he says of playing the Marvel Comics superhero, a role he reprises in this fall's Thor: The Dark World, later this year. "For that I had to add some muscle, which hasn't been all that hard so far. I like training just fine, thanks."
"But to play a Formula One driver, I had to drop quite a bit of that. You know, slim it down," he continues, referring to his role as race car driver James Hunt in upcoming flick Rush. "First time I looked at a Formula One car in person, I just stared at the cockpit, figuring I'd never get in there. The drivers wear the whole car like a tight-fitting suit. So I just started training differently, shedding all that Thor. I've come to see size as just a kind of prop."
Let this be a lesson to all those who want to race cars: don't be jacked. Maintain your pasty, noodly, indoor-friendly physiques. You'll be just like James Hunt.
Latest Rush Trailer Gives A Look At The Fun That Was James Hunt