What It's Really Like To Work With Chris Hemsworth - Exclusive
Is there anything Chris Hemsworth can't do? As the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thor, he's taken a lead role in some of the biggest, highest-grossing movies of all time. Films like 12 Strong show he can hang with the most grizzled, hardened action movie stars — while turns in Ghostbusters, Cabin in the Woods, and Men in Black: International proved that he has solid comedic chops, too. The Aussie actor is handsome, charming, and apparently, also a really nice guy. How unfair is that?
That last tidbit comes from actress Golshifteh Farahani, who starred with Hemsworth in Netflix's latest action blockbuster, Extraction. In Extraction, Hemsworth portrays Tyler Rake, a mercenary who's been hired to rescue a drug lord's son from his nefarious rival. Farahani plays Nik, a tough-as-nails arms dealer and Rake's second-in-command.
While Nik spends most of her time guiding the mission from behind-the-scenes, Farahani did share a number of scenes with Hemsworth, and she couldn't be more complimentary about her co-star. "Chris is really one of the gentlest actors I've ever seen," Farahani told Looper during an exclusive interview.
"He's very present," Farahani goes on. "Most actors, including myself, go to this bubble of our telephones between the scenes and between the sets, somehow cutting the stress of the world out. But he's not at all like that. He's not on his phone. He is out there interacting."
As a result, when someone on the cast or crew needs help, Hemsworth is there for them. Farahani learned that first-hand. While filming Extraction, Faharani suffered some minor health issues. "I had some hives. I had to take a very serious diet for the hives to go away, because I was allergic to something in the food in Thailand, which to this day I don't know exactly what," she explains.
The combination of the special diet and the harsh climate was a lot for the actress to handle. "I was fainting one of the days, because I traveled from European winter to extreme heat the night before, and I had to go in front of the camera," Farahani says. Thankfully, Hemsworth noticed and, like the superhero he is, came to the rescue: "He realized it and he gave me his lunch, which was [a] special smoothie, a power smoothie."
As Farahani tells it, that small gesture saved her. "That smoothie, I will never ever forget the taste of that smoothie," says the actress, her voice revealing just how grateful she was. "Also? He's really gorgeous and super tall," Farahani adds, laughing.
Chris Hemsworth isn't the only MCU stalwart Farahani was excited to work with for Extraction
In fact, according to Farahani, Hemsworth's presence in Extraction is a big reason why she signed up for the movie in the first place. "I was like, 'Wow, this character [Nik] is amazing. It's an amazing character.' And, also, working with Chris was very, very amusing, and I was very happy to be in a project working with him," she says.
Hemsworth wasn't the only Marvel alumnus who attracted Farahani to Extraction, though. The film is based on a graphic novel by the Russo Brothers, who directed both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and who produced Extraction (Joe Russo also penned the script). In addition, Extraction marks the directorial debut of Sam Hargrave, a stunt coordinator who's worked on those two Avengers movies, the Russos' two Captain America films (The Winter Soldier and Civil War), and a few other MCU productions.
For Farahani, the opportunity to work with Hargrave on his first movie was a big draw. "I always like to participate in the first project," she says. "It's very emotional for me, and I've been doing many, many first projects, even in independent cinema. [...] It's amusing to watch, especially when it's a success, it really feels like, 'Wow.' You are happy for someone like it's your family."
She wasn't disappointed. Farahani says that Hargrave's work blew her away, especially during a 12-minute action scene that's shot to look like it's one continuous take. "He did an incredible job with some of the shots, like in the car," she says. I called him, and I said, 'Dude, how did you do that?'"
In fact, when asked what about Extraction she's most proud of, Farahani doesn't hesitate: "I think the first thing I'm proud of is Sam. I'm sure he's going to have an amazing career." If Extraction is any indication, she may very well be right.
Extraction, a Netflix exclusive, is available to stream now.