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Emile
Hirsch (Into the Wild, Alpha Dog) was six years
old when he saw his first episode of the cartoon series
Speed Racer and, more important, caught a glimpse
of the Mach 5. “It was one of the coolest things I’d
ever seen,” Hirsch says. “That’s when I started thinking
it would be great to be on TV. And have one of those.”
Sixteen
years later, he finally got behind the wheel of the
speedster, in Warner Bros.’ high-octane family adventure
Speed Racer, directed by the Wachowski brothers
of The Matrix trilogy fame.
“My
first thought was, ‘Yeah, they got the car right,’” he
says. “That’s one of the best things about the show, so
it was always going to be one of the most important
parts of the movie.”
Based on
the classic series created by animé pioneer Tatsuo
Yoshida, the live-action Speed Racer showcases
the kind of revolutionary visual effects and
cutting-edge storytelling that have become the
benchmarks of the Wachowski brothers’ movies. In the
film, Speed Racer (Hirsch) is a natural behind
the wheel, hurtling down the track, careening around,
over and through the competition. Born to race cars,
Speed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all,
fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the
brother he idolized—the legendary Rex Racer, whose death
in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven
to fulfill.
Can you
tell us about playing this iconic role?
Fun, a
lot of fun. It’s not every day that as conservative a
driver as me gets to pretend that he’s such a demon on
wheels.
What is
a Gimbal and how was it to work with one?
Well,
the Gimbal’s this massive, robotic arm that just kind of
whips you around and gives you whiplash and you have to
pretend that you’re on a road driving, but you’re not
the whole time.
How was
it to film mostly on a green screen?
Green
screen, it’s a bit of a nightmare at times. But you just
have to pretend that stuff’s there and, eventually, you
start having fun, with the idea of just make believe.
It’s like being a little kid again. You’re like, “Oh! I
see the car, sort of, in my mind.”
What is
the difference between Speed Racer the race-car driver
and Speed Racer the son?
When
he’s in the car, he gets so frustrated with the road and
stuff. And that’s how I felt when I was on the Gimbal.
I’d be so frustrated because it was so...uncomfortable
at times. This thing was whipping you around, and so I’d
really get kind of crazy. But when I’m out of the car,
I’d be very comfortable. And Speed is kind of very
relaxed and cool. Speed’s kind of got these two
personalities: one, he’s a demon on wheels, but he’s
kind of a mellow guy when he’s off the road.
What is
your favorite car-fu (car kung-fu) trick?
The
jump-jack flip is just something that I just love...any
kind of surreal thing, like being able to hit a button
and your car does a back flip is pretty cool.
Did you
watch Speed Racer growing up?
Believe
it or not, the show, they actually had reruns on Cartoon
Network. So, I actually, I did watch it growing up. I
was big into Speed Racer growing up. I was like,
“Oh, man, I used to watch this show when I was six years
old on Cartoon Network every day.” And then when I heard
the Wachowskis were doing it, I was like... ‘Whoa,
Wachowskis.” The Matrix is one of the greatest
movies ever.
What was
your reaction to the film after seeing it for the first
time?
My mind
was so blown away. I mean, I think that they (Wachowskis
) did it again. It’s just that I love the movie. It’s so
great. It’s so psychedelic and just colorful and crazy
and fun.
What was
your training like for the fight sequences?
I worked
with these stunt coordinators, Chad and Dave, who are
just some of the toughest guys you’ll ever hang out
with. And their whole goal was to just toughen me up and
put me through some fight training. So, it was like the
sequence in The Karate Kid where the guy’s being
trained. It was like that for a couple of months.
Did you
have to do any race-car driving training?
No, no
driving at all. All computer cars.
***Distributed by Warner Bros., Speed Racer is showing
simultaneously in IMAX Theater at SM Mall of Asia and
conventional theaters in 35mm across the Philippines. |
