In the 2015 spy film The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer played the roles of two rival spies who are forced to team up to stop a global threat. During the filming of one scene, Cavill’s character rescues Hammer’s character from drowning. However, what many might not know is that the stunt nearly went wrong, with Hammer almost drowning for real.
Controversial actor Armie Hammer, who has faced a series of sexual abuse allegations revealed what exactly happened behind the scenes while shooting a key stunt for the movie.
Armie Hammer revealed how even Superman could not save him
To film a key scene, Armie Hammer was tied to a cinder block and sunk into a massive pool. His co-star, who portrays the role of Superman in the DC movies, Henry Cavill, then swam to him from 25 feet above and attempted to pull him up. However, Hammer failed to slip out of his tether, and he sank all the way to the bottom of the pool.
“It was like a Mafia execution gone wrong. Henry started swimming with me, but he was basically pulling me and this giant cinder block up … so he did what you would naturally do and let go, and I sank all the way back to the bottom.”
Fortunately, a rescue diver was on standby, and he was able to save Hammer before he drowned. The Call Me By Your Name actor later said that he was “terrified” during the stunt, but he was grateful that the diver was there to save him. The stunt was eventually filmed successfully, and it was included in the final cut of the film.
Henry Cavill was happy to focus on acting while Armie Hammer had to work hard to seem convincing
Set in the glamorous backdrop of 1963, The Man from U.N.C.L.E boasted exquisitely tailored heroes, stunning and daring women, and a fleet of wonderful sports cars, motorcycles, and other vintage gadgets. Among the film’s early buzz was Cavill’s portrayal of Solo, a character with a penchant for finely crafted Savile Row-style suits, which added an air of sophistication to the espionage-laden narrative.
While Cavill is no stranger to intensive physical preparation for previous roles, he was more than content to keep his shirt on this time around. Having endured punishing workouts for shirtless scenes in Immortals and Man of Steel, he welcomed the chance to focus solely on his acting without the need for strict dietary regimens.
“Taking your shirt off for a movie involves starving yourself, and that’s no fun when you are working 15-hour days. You look great, you have a six-pack or an eight-pack or whatever, but [it was a relief] just to focus on the acting.”
On the other hand, his co-star Armie Hammer faced a different challenge in preparing for his role as a Russian agent. To convincingly portray his character’s accent, Hammer put in rigorous effort to fine-tune his vocal cords. The Los Angeles native, renowned for his role in The Social Network was determined to avoid caricature-like portrayals.
“In the ’70s and ’80s, anytime a Russian was depicted in American cinema they were sort of these arch-villains. They were basically like, ‘Na-TASH-A! It can be really arch and really slapsticky, so you’ve got to stay on top of it.”
Hammer further revealed that he dedicated hours to studying tapes of native Russians speaking English, and to further refine his delivery, he enlisted the guidance of a dialect coach on set. After all, his ultimate goal was to steer clear of outdated and exaggerated stereotypes that often characterized Russian characters in American cinema, aiming for a more authentic and nuanced performance.
Source: New York Daily News
