LOS ANGELES — Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain share something — beyond high-profile Hollywood careers — that they say came to the surface as they filmed “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” (opening Friday).
Both stars were raised in homes where the idea that women could achieve the same goals as men was not a foreign concept.
Aussie actor Hemsworth noted that while his “mum believed in total feminism, the same could be said for my dad as well. … That’s one of the things I like about this particular film as well. Between Emily [Blunt], Charlize [Theron] and Jess — you have a movie that is all about kick-ass, strong female characters who drive the action.”
Chastain agreed and revealed that was the only reason she signed on to play the role of Sara in “Winter’s War,” the prequel to “Snow White and the Huntsman” (also starring Hemsworth), released in 2012. Hemsworth actually approached Chastain at an awards show and asked if she would consider joining him in the project.
“I agreed, but only on the condition that I wouldn’t be playing yet another anxious damsel in distress. Those kinds of fairy tales were never popular in my house growing up. I always hated those stories, and especially now, as an actress, don’t like the way those fairy tales are portrayed on-screen.”
As Hemsworth nodded vigorously, Chastain went on to explain, “Those kinds of films — with the princess up in a tower, desperately miserable until her prince comes, perhaps climbing up her hair to rescue her from the tower, sends out the wrong kind of message to younger audiences, especially girls.
“I never related to those kinds of things as a child, and I don’t think kids today do either. Many see their strong mothers out working and being important contributors to society.”
Hemsworth noted that while Blunt’s Ice Queen and her equally evil sister Ravenna (played by Theron) are all key characters in a “fantastical story with goblins and mystical powers, it’s basically showcasing that women can be as powerful, if not more so, than male characters.
“Look at what’s out there in Hollywood regarding action pictures. You have like eight or nine times as many films with men being the ones kicking ass — to maybe one where a woman is doing the same thing. … We need more films giving women that chance to kick ass,” said Hemsworth, as Chastain exclaimed, “Yeah!” and gave a big thumb’s-up.
An added reason for Hemsworth’s enthusiasm relates to being the father of a daughter. “I want her to grow up and see many more films with women being shown as powerful leaders and possessing strong personal qualities — and not merely being there to support their husbands or the men in their lives. She needs to see women as warriors, just like they are in this movie!”
The past couple of years have been physically challenging for Hemsworth as he needed to change his appearance for his recent film roles. For “In the Heart of the Sea,” he had to drop 30 pounds, but then packed on 50 pounds of pure muscle for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” That then led to him losing 20 pounds for “Winter’s War,” but without losing the muscular aspects of his physique.
“It was all about what you’d expect,” said the actor with a smile. “Lots of cardio and other hard workouts, plus being totally in tune with what went in my mouth. Diet is everything when it comes to adding or losing weight.”
