Chris Hemsworth did lots of research and went to sailing school to prepare for his role as first mate Owen Chase in “In the Heart of the Sea.”
He also lost a crazy amount of weight. "Just tried a new diet/training program called 'Lost At Sea.' Wouldn't recommend it.." he tweeted along with an image of his scrawny self.
The movie, due out Dec. 11, is based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s nonfiction book detailing the loss of the Essex, a ship rammed and destroyed by a whale in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. Philbrick’s book is based partly on Chase’s memoirs.
The maritime disaster is said to have inspired “Moby Dick.”
"I spent a lot of my time growing up in the ocean and have a lot of respect for its inhabitants," Hemsworth said Sunday during a promotional tweeting session with fans.
No spoilers (although “Moby Dick” was published in 1851, so..) but suffice it to say that out in middle of the ocean, when it’s Whale vs. Ship the ship doesn’t usually win. The Hemsworth portrays ends up spending lots of time on the open sea, hence the sunburn, without any food, hence his super skinny physique.
Hemsworth answered a variety of questions about his favorite food, favorite musical artist, how he takes his coffee and which super hero he’d be other than Thor in addition to questions about the film. Here’s a sample:
