Chris Hemsworth And What Made Him Want To Play James Hunt In ‘Rush’

Chris Hemsworth is known for his good looks and amazing body, but what made him go in a different direction and play Formula One (F1) icon James Hunt in Rush?

We have seen Chris Hemsworth play superhero Thor and display his incredibly buff body wearing spandex (not many can do that), but now we see him in a completely different light in his new film Rush.

From director Ron Howard, Rush is the story of the legendary rivalry between Hunt and Austrian racer Niki Lauda and what happened when everything came to a halt in 1976 after Lauda’s almost deadly crash.

In an interview published by The Star-Ledger, Chris Hemsworth says that what made him look for a deeper role was doing the press junkets for The Avengers.

According to the handsome Aussie, everyone just wanted to know what his training regimen was to prepare for Thor and how he had put so much muscle on.

Chris Hemsworth says that’s when he knew he wanted to go in a different direction with his career choices.

I remember doing the press tour for The Avengers and — without complaining about it — the questions in interviews were all, ‘What’s your workout program?’ and ‘How did you put that much muscle on?’ And you realize you’re not really looked at so much as an actor, there’s the assumption that what you did was pretty easy. So I had a strange kind of need to go no, no, there’s something else I have to offer, and I started looking for something deeper.

That opportunity came when he was offered the part of James Hunt, the playboy race car driver who had women swooning in the pits during F1 Grand Prix.

Chris Hemsworth says the project “ticked all boxes” of requirements he had set for himself. So he was excited to take on the part.

The 30-year-old actor could empathize with all the attention Hunt received for his looks and off the track activities even if he couldn’t quite comprehend the guy’s need for speed. Hemsworth drives a hatchback with a baby seat in the back of it.

As Chris, James Hunt had the need to prove that he was much more than looks.

“I think he had a fierce desire that people acknowledge what he was capable of and admit that he was worthy of being there, as a great racer, instead of just being this playboy who took risks.”

For Chris Hemsworth, the challenge is to show people he is not just a pretty face with a great body, he can also act.