Who is Freddie Hunt? James Hunt's son slams Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of his F1 Champion father in 'Rush'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Chris Hemsworth has been blasted by James Hunt's son for his portrayal of the 1976 F1 Champion in the 2013 movie ‘Rush’. Hunt's son, Freddie, recently spoke his heart out in the 'Pitstop Podcast' to criticize Hemsworth's performance as the British motorsport icon.
Hunt carved a niche for himself in the world of F1 after he won the coveted world championship in 1976 with McLaren. During his illustrious career, he was known for his legendary rivalry with Niki Lauda. Before Hunt’s tragic death in 1993 at the age of 45, he also became a commentator with BBC. Ron Howard's directorial, ‘Rush’, aimed to portray the F1 icon’s glorious career onscreen. However, it seems like Freddie was absolutely unhappy with the way his father has been portrayed on-screen.
‘If they just stuck to the truth it would have been so much better’
Slamming Hemsworth’s performance, Freddie said he did not know who to criticize - Hemsworth for his poor portrayal or Ron Howard for his callousness in not discussing the script with family. He said, “Chris Hemsworth’s performance, now I don’t know if I should be upset with Chris or Ron Howard, because he basically played dad like a t**t. And I don’t know if that’s due to his poor acting or if he was directed to play that way.”
However, Freddie was happy with the way the three-time world champion Niki Lauda was played by Daniel Bruhl in the movie. Praising the actor, he said, “Daniel Bruhl, who played Niki Lauda, did an absolute masterpiece. He actually asked Niki if he could spend some time with him so he could learn his mannerisms and really get to know him.” Lauda too praised the movie before his death in 2019.
Expressing his frustration, Freddie said, "What did Hemsworth do in contrast? F**k all. He didn’t contact the family once. And when I asked Ron Howard, ‘Why did you change so many things?’ the director, said, ‘Ahh the truth was too awesome man. No one would believe it.’ I nearly slapped him," adding, "The movie was great, you know people like it.”
However, Freddie stated the movie could have been better if it had shown his father's real story as is. He said, "But it could have been, if they just stuck to the truth it would have been so much better," as per Mirror.
Who is Freddie Hunt?
As per his website, Hunt’s son with Sarah Lomax, Freddie, was born on June 28, 1987, in Guilford UK. Following in his legendary father’s footsteps, he entered motorsports in 2007 with Formula Ford GB and ADAC Formula Masters but took a break in 2009 owing to the pressures of continuing a career in motorsports. However, he returned in 2013 after feeling “he had the necessary maturity to compete under pressure."
In 2013, he met Mathias, Lauda's son, during the 2013 premiere of ‘Rush’, and the duo embarked on a journey together and competed against each other in several races in Dubai, Qatar and India.
According to his website, Freddie has set his sights on winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026, on the 50th anniversary of his father’s historic 1976 win. “In 2022, Freddie signed to ReiterEngineering - an experienced team based out of Germany. Currently competing in the LMP2 class, he aims to showcase his talent in the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series, and has his sights set on winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2026; the 50th anniversary of his father’s F1 victory in 1976,” the website read.
Apart from motorsports, Freddie is said to have a vivid interest in wildlife, outdoor adventures and Polo.