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Damson Idris has been on the rise in Hollywood for a little while now, having truly earned recognition for his role on the hit FX drama Snowfall. The British star has also been steadily making a name for himself in the realm of cinema, and his biggest gig to date is on the horizon. He’s set to star in the 2025 movie release F1, a racing film from Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski. As part of the cast, Idris worked alongside some heavy-hitters, including Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem. Idris recently opened up about working with such a murderer’s row of celebrities, and it sounds like he was shook.
The first true glimpse of F1 that the general public received arrived back in August 2023 amid the British Grand Prix. Thanks to photos that were released, fans were able to see just how Brad Pitt and Damson Idris would look in the high-octane sports flick. As Idris has since revealed, that major event actually marked his first day on set. Not only did he find himself rubbing shoulders with major actors, but there were some notable racers on the scene as well:
That was our first day of filming. I look to my left, it’s Brad Pitt. I look to my right, it’s Javier Bardem. I look at my hands, they’re shaking. And we shoot all of this epic stuff and all the amazing drivers are there, from Lewis [Hamilton] to [Max] Verstappen to everyone.
It’s likely that many of us probably would’ve felt the same way had we been in the Outside the Wire alum’s shoes. Speaking for myself, I probably would’ve been sweating up a storm when being in the presence of such massive stars. Of course, in the case of the 32-year-old actor, he was apparently able to shake off the jitters, and he definitely had to. That’s because there was serious work to be done. As the Swarm actor further explained to Vanity Fair, performing his driving-related duties was challenging:
I was in the car for 45 minutes today. It sounds normal, but it’s not. It’s very hot out here. You’re strapped in, sweating through the helmet. You lose so much weight. … I’m proud to say I know every single thing about Formula 1 cars.… And yes, everyone here binged Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
One might find it hard to decide which is more daunting: the notion of being around Oscar winners and championship-winning athletes or having to endure some tough training. I’d probably give the edge to the latter, yet I still say that I’d probably trip over my words when shooting the breeze with someone like Lewis Hamilton, who co-produced the film as well. While the film shoot apparently asked a lot of the actors, the F1 trailer suggests that their efforts were not in vain.
The film sees Brad Pitt play the role of Sonny Hayes, a former Formula One driver forced to retire following a major accident. He’s eventually coaxed into returning to the sport by his friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), a team owner. It’s Ruben’s hope that Sonny will mentor up-and-coming racer Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris). From a behind-the-scenes standpoint, Joseph Kosinski is seeking to provide audiences with an immersive experience. And part of how he’s been doing that is by utilizing tech that was used on Maverick. Kosinski’s devotion to maintaining racing authenticity throughout the feature is more than apparent via the trailer.
I’m excited to see what the movie has in store and am particularly pumped to see what Damson Idris brings to the table. He’s a talented young actor, and I’m hoping that this film helps boost his movie star status. Also, I’m hoping that during the eventual press tour, Idris will share even more stories about working with Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and more on the set. Until then, know that F1 zooms into theaters on June 27, 2025 and, while you wait, check out the 2024 movie schedule for info on flicks that are revved up and raring to hit cinemas by the end of this year.