Movies News Talk
As Ernest Lawrence, a well-known American physicist instrumental in the Manhattan Project, Josh Hartnett captured Born in 1901, Lawrence became a Nobel Prize laureate in 1939 for his creation of the cyclotron The development of the atomic bomb was much aided by his cooperation with the main actor of the movie, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Lawrence's major participation to the production and his relationship with Oppenheimer define his presence in the movie as absolutely necessary for the story.
Leslie Groves's actor Matt Damon gave Josh Hartnett some guidance on his physical change for the part during Oppenheimer's filming. Renowned for his commitment to keep healthy, Damon cautioned Hartnett that adding weight for the part would make it challenging for him to shed it later. Damon, who himself forbids from acquiring weight for roles after the age of forty, underlined again that Hartnett's body would naturally want to retain the weight, so it is a lifetime battle to lose the pounds. Hartnett was rather surprised by the sudden and useless timing, though, since this advise was given after he had already gained the weight.
To graphically highlight the difference between Lawrence's body and Oppenheimer's, Josh Hartnett deliberately chose to add thirty pounds for his performance as Ernest Lawrence. Lawrence, a strong and vivacious person, is quite different from the thin and elderly Oppenheimer, who is shown as more physically sensitive. Though maybe superfluous, Hartnett's metamorphosis shows his attention to the part and his will to correctly depict Lawrence's physical presence. Although Hartnett's dedication to the part is admirable, his experience with Damon's advise emphasizes the need of giving such decisions great thought and the possibility of unanticipated results.
Renowned for his dedication to fitness, Matt Damon has a particular rule about adding weight for parts beyond forty. Once a particular age is reached, he thinks it gets more difficult to lose extra weight, which results in a possible lifetime battle with weight control. This viewpoint probably comes from his own experience as well as his awareness of the difficulties related to weight loss, especially as one ages. Though well-meaning, Damon's counsel to Hartnett was maybe out of time and lacked sensitivity to his dedication to his part and physical transformation.
Josh Hartnett's response to Matt Damon's advise was one of mixed feelings—amusement and annoyance. He pointed out the absurdity of getting the advice after he had already started to weigh it, even while he respectfully said he appreciated it. His comment, "Thanks, Matt. I appreciate you sharing this now. I've already acquired it depicts his underlying annoyance at the useless nature of the advise as well as his delight at the time. Hartnett seemed to have followed the advise in stride despite the unplanned time, hence showcasing the friendship and comedy inherent in their working relationship.
Hartnett's weight increase for the part was a conscious decision meant to highlight Lawrence's and Oppenheimer's physical differences, but it's hard to say for sure whether it affected his performance. Emphasizing the characters' different personalities and origins, his bodily change surely helped to create their visual difference. Hartnett's performance, however, is much valued for its realism and capacity to portray Lawrence's core as a committed scientist. Finally, his dedication to the part—including his physical metamorphosis—probably helped the movie to be generally successful.