Some actors wait for years to feel like they’ve truly made it in Tinseltown. But for Nicholas Hoult, all it took was a little spit on his face from the Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron.
Indeed, Hoult may have just become a real actor in Theron’s eyes after she “spat” on his face during a scene in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) but the film continues to be a gift that keeps on giving nine years later. The post-apocalyptic action epic helmed by George Miller has consolidated its place in pop culture with its prequel flick (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), set for release later this month.
Well, in 2020, Hoult and Theron engaged in a Q&A session following the special screening in Los Angeles, where the former recounted a memorable scene from Mad Max: Fury Road. The Berkshire-born actor shared the story when he felt he had truly “arrived” as an actor; it was when Theron spat on his face during a challenging fight scene in a tractor.
Mad Max: Fury Road: The Moment Nicholas Hoult Felt Validated as an Actor
Are you curious about the moment when Nicholas Hoult felt he truly became a real actor? As he shared during a special screening in Los Angeles, it was when Charlize Theron—his powerhouse co-star—spat on his face during the heated scene within a tractor’s confines.
In 2020, Hoult and Theron reminisced about some amusing memories during their epic collaboration in George Miller’s flick. The former shared (via Variety):
“I knew I really arrived as an actor when there was a scene when you spat in my face.”
To further highlight the strong bond between the two celebrities on the set, the Superman star even asked Theron in jest if he could spit back:
“I think I asked politely, ‘Do you mind if I spit back?’”
Further, Theron admitted during the screening that she was “scared s***less” while filming the Warner Bros. film. Additionally, she claimed that when the movie arrived in theaters, Miller had already shown her a four-hour version of it:
“I never got bored.”
However, behind the scenes, tensions were high between Theron and her co-star Tom Hardy, who portrayed the role of ‘Mad Max’ Rockatansky. Stunt performer Dayna Grant once disclosed that the feud between the two actors was evident early on in production.
Behind-the-Scenes Drama Between Charlize Theron & Tom Hardy on the Set
The “intense” and “challenging” environment that was created on set by the “tension” between Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy was discussed by stunt performer Dayna Grant in an interview with Metro back in 2020. Grant performed the role of Furiosa’s stunt double for Theron.
Theron-Hardy rivalry, according to the stunt performer, was apparent from the beginning of production and caused a split in the way action sequences were choreographed:
“We knew right from the get go. We knew from the beginning that it was happening when we were doing the fight choreography…there was tension then. So we were told what was going on. And we were just told to try and make it work as much as possible, which was challenging, because usually you’re all in one big group and working together whereas we were kind of separated.”
In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Theron did, however, acknowledge the feud, stating that they were acting “like our characters”. To quote her:
“That is frightening! And I think because of my own fear, we were putting up walls to protect ourselves instead of saying to each other, ‘This is scary for you, and it’s scary for me, too…In a weird way, we were functioning like our characters: Everything was about survival.”
Anyway, the behind-the-scenes dynamics and raw emotions brought out in the actors’ performances have only added to the film’s enduring legacy. Critics gave the movie high marks; it was nominated for ten Academy Awards, taking home six of them and garnering a slew of other honors.
The prequel film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which is scheduled for release on May 24, 2024, features George Miller returning to both writer and director duties.
Mad Max: Fury Road is streaming on Max.
