Freddie, son of Formula 1 champion James Hunt, admitted that he may have been too harsh when talking about Chris Hemsworth’s performance portraying his father in the film ‘Rush’.
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The Australian actor starred in the blockbuster embodying the 1976 champion. The film depicts the battle of that championship between the Brit and Niki Lauda, played by Daniel Brühl.
Despite the film’s success and critical acclaim, Freddie was harsh about Hemsworth’s portrayal. In 2023, he even said on the Pitstop podcast that “about Chris Hemsworth’s performance, now I don’t know if I should be mad at Chris or Ron Howard, because basically he played my father like an idiot.” He also pointed out how the actor never reached out to the family to learn more about James, unlike Brühl, who studied Lauda.
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Now, a few years later, Freddie has somewhat backtracked, acknowledging that he may have been a bit too harsh on the actor who also plays the superhero Thor. “I actually got in touch with his assistant. Because I know he never had the chance to defend himself,” he told The Telegraph.
“I don’t know if he was directed to act that way or if he simply chose to do it. I want to hear his side, you know? If he calls me an idiot, that’s fine.” Still, Freddie added that he still believes director Howard “messed up” the truth in his view of the historic rivalry.
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