Chris Hemsworth plays great F1 racer James Hunt.

At just 30, Chris Hemsworth has the world on a string.

The blond beefcake has a hit superhero franchise with Thor. He starred in the successful fantasy flick Snow White And The Huntsman alongside Kristen Stewart.

And now the Aussie actor is the main attraction in the super-cool car racing opus Rush as the great F1 racer James Hunt.

What was it like when you first saw the finished film?

It was really exciting.

I think most actors are highly critical when they watch themselves and I find that at times I can be over-critical, but I have to say the first time I saw Rush, I was completely taken in with how well it's shot, how well the story played and the way director Ron Howard had pulled this together.

I just said, 'Wow, this feels like something special.'

What attracted you to the project?

It's a fascinating story because there's the intense rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

These guys lived with the looming threat of death and all, basically, for entertainment.

At that time, back in the 1970s, there were four or five of them dying a year and you wonder why and how did that affect them?

That element of danger was in every move they made on the track wasn't it?

Oh absolutely. And since then, the sport has got a lot safer.

You know, I remember Ron saying to me: "The 1970s was when the sex was safe and the driving was dangerous, and now it's the other way round."

And if you think about that era, drivers did lose their lives and it got me wondering why you would do that as your profession.

What attracted them to that kind of world?

They operated in incredibly dangerous circumstances.

Nothing forces you to be in the moment more than the threat of death and that adrenaline- charged race.

I think that desire to be in the moment becomes addictive and we, the fans, want to see people experience that.

■ Interview transcript courtesy of Cathay-Keris Films

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