Chris Hemsworth, known for his role as the muscular Thor, underwent a dramatic physical transformation for his role in Ron Howard's film "In the Heart of the Sea." The movie, released in December 2015, tells the story of the Essex, a whaling ship that was attacked by a massive sperm whale in 1820, leaving the crew stranded at sea for 90 days. To accurately portray a shipwrecked sailor, Hemsworth had to shed a significant amount of weight, a process he described as both physically and mentally challenging.
The Extreme Diet
To convincingly portray a man stranded at sea, Hemsworth followed a strict diet to lose weight for his role as Owen Chase. The "Thor" actor posted a snapshot via Instagram on Sunday, showing off his dramatic weight loss for the upcoming film "In the Heart of the Sea," in which he plays a man stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 90 days.
Throughout the shoot, the cast reduced their calorie intake each week, eventually consuming only 500 to 600 calories a day for the last couple of weeks. This drastic reduction in calories had a profound effect on the actors, both physically and emotionally.
Physical and Emotional Toll
Hemsworth described the experience as "traumatic," stating that he wouldn't want to repeat such an extreme transformation. The physical transformation had such an effect on the actors emotionally, which they were all going through. It kind of bonded them, in a way that I think they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. He noted that the weight loss was elevated in the film due to makeup and prosthetic peeling skin, but it felt just as traumatic.
The rapid weight loss led to chemical imbalances and mood swings, making the actors sensitive to trivial things. The actor told Yahoo that the diet was “traumatic” and he’ll actively avoid taking roles that require similar transformations in the future. He said it was the mental rather than the physical toll of the weight loss that caused him the most anguish.
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Director's Perspective
Director Ron Howard acknowledged the actors' self-discipline, noting that their leadership by example kept everyone professional on set despite the diet-induced mood swings. Howard said, “These people were so self-disciplined,” says Howard, “Or self-regulatory, maybe coming from Chris [Hemsworth] and Cillian [Murphy] and Ben Walker, that leadership was just there by example.” He admitted he expected difficulties, such as fist fights or actors refusing to work, but was impressed by their commitment.
The Aftermath
Following the film, Hemsworth was quick to regain his muscle mass. He mentioned that his body had muscle memory from his "Thor" training, making it easier to rebuild his physique. However, he expressed a reluctance to take on roles that require similar extreme weight loss in the future.
Using Hunger for Performance
Hemsworth found that the hunger and exhaustion he experienced during the diet actually aided his performance, particularly in scenes where his character was meant to be agitated, angry, frustrated, depressed, or moody. He explained that he didn't have to convince himself that he was exhausted and hungry; he genuinely felt it.
A Gingerbread Prop Incident
Interestingly, Hemsworth recounted an incident where he ate a gingerbread prop on set. He described it as delicious and kept sneaking bites between scenes until the props guys had to stop him because they were running out. "It tasted like gingerbread and it was the set's prop. You're not meant to eat the props or the set, and it comes out and I've got this little box of it and, in this scene, you have to break off a piece and I'm like, 'This is delicious.' So, in between the scenes, I was like, 'This is awesome.' And then the props guys were like: 'We don't have much. Stop eating it!' And I was like, 'It's fine, it's fine.' And I was sneaking more and more of it."
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