The new film Gran Turismo, out this weekend, is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a guy who was so good at the car racing video game that he was able to translate his skills to the real racing world.
David Harbour co-stars and the Stranger Things actor says he just had to do the movie, telling ABC Audio, “It felt like this movie I loved growing up, Hoosiers.”
“It felt like this underdog story, this real sports euphoric thing,” he continues.”… I just had those moments where you feel in a movie where you’re like, ‘yes, yes, go, go.'”
When it comes to real-life racing though, Harbour will stick with videos.
“Put me in a world with orcs and magic users and fighters and have me like run out onto the field of battle, like an RPG,” he says.
Midsommar star Archie Madekwe plays Mardenborough in the film, and admits he’s the complete opposite of his character, admitting he only got his driver’s license a week before filming and isn’t much of a gamer either.
“I just didn’t really play video games growing up because … I have a real addictive personality,” he shares. “So I’d find myself when you get into that mark where you’ve been playing so long, you see it’s dark outside. I can’t shake the shame that would then come with it.”
Regardless, Madekwe says he’d never seen a mixed-race character in a movie like this.
“I remember my nephew came to set one day and met Jann and … it was almost quite emotional seeing him sit in the car and thinking about him and the other kids that look like him watching the film and just being super inspired by anyone watching the film and being inspired.”
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