Ansel Elgort fondly remembers days when he ‘absorbed Chicago’s vibe’

LOS ANGELES — As a getaway wheelman in the new movie “Baby Driver,” Ansel Elgort make some split-second maneuvers he never could have pulled off back when he was making “Divergent” in Chicago.

“Even if I had a car there,” he said, “I would have certainly crashed within seconds — plus the cops would have come down hard on me!”

In “Baby Driver” (opening Wednesday), Elgort’s character showcases daredevil moves as he speeds his bank robber associates away from the scenes of their crimes.

The actor smiled as he recalled his time filming the first of the “Divergent” movies. “Since I was making only my second film, no one recognized me or knew who I was. I could walk around and simply take in the city — its sights, sounds and energy,” he said.

Elgort, also a dedicated musician and songwriter, disclosed that “living next to the Bean while we shot ‘Divergent’ was really inspirational for me. I made a lot of music when I was in Chicago; the town really inspired me to do that. I took the train everywhere and just absorbed Chicago’s vibe. It was a blast.”

He was joined in the interview by co-star Jamie Foxx, who said Our Town “means great audiences to me. You people in Chicago really get comedy — of all kinds. It’s the comedy mecca. I love that about Chicago.”

Another “Baby Driver” baddie, former “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm, zeroes in on sports when Chicago is the topic.

“Being from St. Louis, I’m naturally a Cardinals fan — and so I always think the Cubs, given that huge rivalry. Plus since they won the Series last year, I think about the Cubs even more. … But then, I’m also a Blues fan, so that makes me think of the Blackhawks when I think about Chicago.

“I was so lucky. I got to go to all three of the World Series games at Wrigley last year. That was something special and something I’ll never forget.”

As crazy scary as Hamm and Foxx’s characters are in “Baby Driver,” it’s disarming to see them chatting amiably about sports and comedy. For Oscar winner Foxx, “I literally told [director] Edgar [Wright], ‘I want to play the scary black man. He’s not politically correct, but I want him to be as angry as can be.’ He’s the guy who is willing to tear the whole plan up just to get his way. He doesn’t want anyone to have any fun in life.

“He is a really nasty, crazy-angry guy. He even scared me — I was the guy playing him,” Foxx said with a laugh.

For Hamm, the film’s energy comes from the vision Wright had for “Baby Driver.”

“This film is so driven by the music, directed by Edgar, who is so visually oriented but who also curated this incredible soundtrack. He has an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of music.”