A twisted Chris Hemsworth in ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’

“He understood the character straight away,” was what director George Miller said as he watched Chris Hemsworth read the screenplay for “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

In the highly anticipated expansion to the Mad Max universe, Chris Hemsworth plays Dementus, the tyrannical warlord that kidnaps a child that would later become the legendary Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy).

Chris Hemsworth plays Dementus, the tyrannical warlord who kidnaps the child that would later become the legendary Furiosa. PHOTOS COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES 

Hemsworth has such an understanding of the character that director Miller thought was ideal for the role.

“He understood his character such that I began to rely on him whenever he would say, ‘I think Dementus would do this…’ And suddenly, it became more than serving his performance or the characters, but serving the deeper narrative of the story.”

Hemsworth’s physicality and skill with stunts also proved useful as he took on the harsh Wasteland.

“He understands how everything work. And, of course, he’s very physically gifted, doing all his own stunts and constantly riding motorbikes in his real life, surfing, doing all that sort of stuff. And so he was ideal for this character. Once I met Chris, saw his response and understood what he was thinking and the way that dovetailed, I thought, ‘Okay, he’s the one who should take on Dementus,” the director added.

Director George Miller (rightmost) praises Hemsworth for understanding his character straight away. 

Hemsworth considers Dementus to be one of his impactful roles as a villain.

Hemsworth, as Dementus, plays the role with an understanding of the character’s background and how it shaped the warlord.

“Dementus is a complicated individual,” said Hemsworth. “He’s a product of this world — the violent, harsh reality that is the Wasteland. He’s been manipulated and sculpted through his experience, and I think that experience was one of immense tragedy, fear, pain and loss. This is what this place is, and everything is so desperate and raw. It’s day-to-day survival.”

Dementus’ relationship with Furiosa is a complicated one, and Hemsworth explains how he approached it.

“He begins on some level to see an innocence and a purity to this individual that is a representation of what he’s lost. There is something he thinks otherworldly about her, because she is from the Green Place, and I think deep down inside him a little bit of humanity is awakened.

“Maybe he thinks that she reminds him of some other time in his life, his childhood, his younger years, before he was brutalized himself. He becomes very intrigued who this individual is, fascinated, infatuated, and then it becomes an almost paternal relationship in his eyes. I can’t speak to how Furiosa feels about him, but I think he sees it as his duty as a father figure to take care of her and prepare her for what’s to come.”

In a way, Hemsworth feels like Dementus has been one of his most impactful roles while playing a villain.

“To be able to track a villain from beginning to end—the history, his backstory, the amount of detail allowed in this film — is unlike anything I’ve done before. And I don’t know if I was actively seeking to play a character like this, but you’re always on the lookout for something that will get the fire going,” he ended.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” as it crashes into Philippine cinemas today, May 22.