In the Hall of Fame for the best action-movie actors, some of the first names that come to mind are Jackie Chan, known for his work in projects like Rush Hour and Karate Kid, as well as the bodybuilding legend and Terminator actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. They have arguably had some of the most memorable performances and fight sequences to this day and their characters are truly some of the most iconic.

Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake
The two action stars set quite the standard for actors following their footsteps in the genre. Many have tried to be as influential and have a similar screen presence, but only a few have succeded. Can Thor actor, Chris Hemsworth be one of these actors? Extraction director Sam Hargrave seems to think so.

Sam Hargrave Compares Chris Hemsworth To Action Movie Legends

With the release of their latest movie, Extraction 2, Chris Hemsworth and director, Sam Hargrave have been doing a lot of press for the publicity of the movie, including a detailed interview with Collider. The actor plays a professional mercenary so to say that the stunt coordination and fight scenes were complicated and difficult would be an understatement. However, Hargrave went on to hype up Hemsworth’s performance during this interview, by using examples as comparison.

Chris Hemsworth and Sam Hargrave
The director mentioned that Hemsworth was the perfect mixture of the action film icons, Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“I would say he’s the perfect blend of Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger because you got the Chan that always had people on screen better than him, and he always got beat up in a very entertaining way, and not afraid to take a punch. But then you had [him] standing on a train with a minigun, looking like a total badass from the 1980s action movies. It’s like the perfect blend that this guy brings to the screen” He stated.
He elaborated on this by stating that this comparison to Chan was because he also could entertain the audience with his ability to take a punch and look silly while doing it. He also added that Hemsworth was a lot like Schwarzenegger in his capabilities of brushing that off and standing in front of the camera with a weapon like a true action movie hero.

Chris Hemsworth Isn’t Afraid Of Taking a Punch On Camera

Chris Hemsworth was asked during this interview why he prefers to take real punches while filming his fight scenes. The actor feels quite passionately about this and went on to explain why. He stated that he does not like it when heroes look completely unfaced during the middle of an action sequence. He mentioned that they tend to take him out of the movie as that is not very realistic. He also added that he believes that this also makes it difficult for the audience to engage themselves in the action and makes the heroes difficult to empathize with.
Chris Hemsworth
“It kind of bugs me when I see people in an action film, chaotic action, you know, 10-minute sequence fight, and they’re still sort of nose breathing and posing at the end of it. I don’t feel any jeopardy there. If I’m not concerned, as in me on camera, and I’m not going through hell, I think it’s hard for the audience to empathize with that or understand that the stakes are high, you know?” The Thor star added, “I enjoy the exhaustion, the grit, the pain being registered, the sweat, the blood, all of it.”

He prefers getting his hands and face dirty, enjoying the things that come with real fights, as it allows him as an actor to better immerse himself in the experience. He went on to say that he believes that making scenes more real makes the audiences more tense and leaves them at the edge of their seats, following every kick and punch. He also added that if he doesn’t look like he is going through hell on camera, he is not satisfied with the scene.

Source: Collider