Damson Idris on filming F1: ‘Brad Pitt is so good, it’s scary’
Snowfall’s revelation plays a racing driver in Joseph Kosinski’s film.
Announced last summer, the Formula 1 film by Brad Pitt is almost complete. And its promo has moved up a gear with a first trailer that was unveiled last Sunday. Soberly titled F1it is directed by the director of Top Gun: MaverickJoseph Kosinski, and also features Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and the British Damson Idrisrevealed by the FX series Snowfall about the arrival of crack in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
In F1Damson Idris plays a young driver taken under his wing by a former racer (Brad Pitt). An experience that deeply marked the 32-year-old actor, propelled for the first time onto the set of a blockbuster. During an interview with Vanity Fairhe remembers his first day of filming:
“I look to my left, there’s Brad Pitt. I look to my right, there’s Javier Bardem. I look at my hands, they’re shaking. We’re shooting all these epic scenes, and all these incredible drivers are there, from Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen.”
Damson Idris had a blast, but it wasn’t easy: “I spent 45 minutes in the car today” he says of filming a sequence in Abu Dhabi.It sounds normal, but it’s not. It’s so hot out there. You’re strapped into the cockpit, sweating through your helmet. You lose so much weight.”
But the most impressive thing was working alongside the legend Brad Pitt:
“He’s a superstar. His humility is unmatched. I don’t know if people know it, but he’s really good behind the wheel. Really good. Almost too good. He’s so good it scares me.“
F1, the movie: “It’s Top Gun Maverick Next Generation!”
Damson Idris also has high praise for the film’s director, Joseph Kosinski:
“He is a reference director. For me he represents the pinnacle of cinema. The feeling I had when I left Top Gun was the same as when I saw AND Or Star Wars as a child. These films are driven by one goal: entertainment. Everyone, no matter where they come from, can enjoy this film. His way of working is incredible“.
F1 will be released in theaters in France on June 25, 2025. Trailer:
