Idris Elba may be a big guy but during the shooting of Pacific Rim (2013), it was Charlie Hunnam who got on the Beast actor’s nerve, and their on-screen tension shimmered away from the camera. While expressing that their character was at odds with each other, the Sons of Anarchy star also admitted to punching Idris Elba in the face.
Elba & Charlie Hunnam’s On-Screen Tension Spilled Off-Screen
Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam starred together in the Guillermo del Toro-directed sci-fi movie, Pacific Rim. During an interview with GQ, Hunnam, who played the washed-up pilot, Raleigh Becket revealed being at odds with Idris Elba (who starred as Marshal Stacker Pentecost).
Referencing Idris Elba’s movie, The Wire, Hunnam confessed:
“I must confess, I circled around The Wirefor a long time but I’ve never really seen it. I have the whole thing on DVD, but I’ve just been waiting for a period of time where I can sit down and commit 60 hours to watch it. So I came in knowing who Idris was but not being that familiar with his work,”
Hunnam further narrated that Elba likes to “experiment with those dynamics offset a little bit”, something the Triple Frontier actor couldn’t get the hang of. He continued:
I just felt this overwhelming desire to punch him in the face. I thought, ‘Well, I can just use it in the work.’ But as I got to know him better, I saw he’s actually a great guy – and he was just working out the dynamic for himself.”
Pacific Rim grossed a worldwide total of over $411 million against its $180-200 million budget. The movie gained the status of being a solid modern creature feature “bolstered by fantastical imagery” and “an irresistible sense of fun.”
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Edris Elba & Charlie Hunnam Bonded Over Time
If one goes by Charlie Hunnam’s words, it indeed takes a while to get the hang of a versatile actor like Idris Elba. After starring together in Pacific Rim, Idris Elba and Charlie Hunnam went on to become best of pals. Both rose to prominence by starring in two popular television shows focused on crime. Elba said in an interview:
“Charlie and I hadn’t worked together before. Now, I feel I’ve got a friend, that I’ve got a partner. Even if I was to make a small independent, I could definitely go to someone like Charlie, because I think what Guillermo has done is just pooled a great synergy of people together. And that lasts onscreen and off-screen.”
Interestingly, it was their clash in Pacific Rim that later made the actors realize the similarity of their characters. Elba once praised Hunnam:
“Charlie Hunnam and I go back a little bit. He has a TV show where he is an iconic character [Sons of Anarchy] and I had a TV show where I was an iconic character in America [The Wire] and we were just sharing our experiences. We got on really well.”
After making a name with their respective television roles, the two established successful film careers, which just added up to their friendship. However, the two actors did not make a return for the Pacific Rim sequel Uprising.
Pacific Rim can be rented or purchased on Amazon Instant Video.
Source: ShowbizCheatsheet
