The Boys in the Boat is based on the true story of University of Washinton’s 1936 crew team and their astonishing journey to becoming Olympians. This team of underdogs is not the usual team of rowers one might expect, but their need to survive during the Great Depression leads to near-impossible acts. The story focuses on coaches led by Al Ulbrickson, and the student-athletes notably Joe Rantz.
Based on Daniel James Brown’s book of the same name, The Boys on the Boat was directed by George Clooney. The movie was written by Mark L. Smith with Clooney and Grant Heslov serving as producers. The Boys in the Boat stars a powerhouse cast led by Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Hadley Robinson, Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Alec Newman, and Peter Guinness.
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Screen Rant interviewed The Boys in the Boat stars Callum Turner and Hadley Robinson. Turner explained why Gary Cooper was a major inspiration for him and the training process he went through. Robinson discussed creating the chemistry between herself and Turner and what she learned from playing this character.
Callum Turner & Hadley Robinson Talk The Boys in the Boat
Screen Rant: Callum, your performance is brilliant in this film. You brought this brooding quality to Joe with these small, intricate, really thought-out moments in the film. Can you talk about actors that you look to, like James Dean and Kristen Stewart, as inspiration for the role?
Callum Turner: I did say that. I guess I said that in July 2022. I love Kristen Stewart. I think she’s incredible, and she can convey emotion in one look or in a breath, and I’m a big fan of hers. But for me, in this movie, Gary Cooper was a big, big influence in Mr. Deeds and in that movie, High Noon. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen those movies, they are incredible.
And he just has this masculine energy that’s just powerful and raw and he can convey the same as her just with the look or without saying anything. So he was a starting position. Spencer Tracy was a big one, and I dug deep into him whilst we were doing this. And then Woody Guthrie energetically with the music, I just felt that they were kind of spirits in a sense. And yeah, that was my cocktail.
Hadley, I love the relationship we see that develops between Joe and Joy. It’s absolutely incredible. Can you talk about their chemistry and their dynamic with each other and what you learned about yourself through playing Joy?
Hadley Robinson: Oh wow. What I learned about myself. Man, I want to be more like her I think. She’s very courageous. She’s a courageous woman, especially for that time. But yeah, I mean, they have such a beautiful love story. They’ve known each other since they were very young, and I think they supported each other from when they were very young.
I think Joe was sort of an escape for Joyce. She grew up in a household that was very strict and sort of harsh, and he kind of represents freedom for her and is this ray of sunshine. And she goes towards it. And I think maybe it’s a similar thing for Joe.
Callum Turner: Absolutely. I mean, it’s the truest love story ever. I mean, they live together for 50 years. Married and have a beautiful family, and I was just so inspired by the way that he’s so hurt as a human being and sees that ray of light that just comes in and inspires him and gives him a reason to live.
Absolutely. Callum, I got to ask about the training for this film because there’s no faking it. You guys did two a day, just as the college athletes would. Can you talk about the training process and your coaches, Terry O’Neil and Nick Harding?
Callum Turner: That’s right. Yeah. Well, Terry is a Olympic gold winning Olympian, and we were very lucky to have him. He was the old school approach to teaching people. Just a wonderful guy. He brought down, I mean, it’s a hard thing to do, rowing, and eight of us, we’d never been in a boat before, so it just made it even harder. And he brought down, this is a testament to rowing, his friends from when he was 13 and 12, and they all came and they would tell us their stories and why they love rowing and how they’re still friends 40 years later, 50 years later.
And he said, “You guys are going to have this.” And we were like, “Terry, that’s really a beautiful thing to say. Thank you man. And sure, we believe you.” But now we’re doing the press and I’ve reread the book. I understand the bond I have with these guys. It’s so deep and profound and we did something truly extraordinary together and he was right.
About The Boys in the Boat
The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction book written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.
Check out our other The Boys in the Boat interviews:
- George Clooney & Joel Edgerton
- Cast & Crew on the Red Carpet
- Daniel J. Brown
- Mark L. Smith
