Co-stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy developed a real love hate relationship while they were filming George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road," and who could blame them? With the scorching heat and the endless driving in the middle of nowhere, the gruelling conditions they endured just to make the film were enough to drive the two stars nuts.
"We went at it, yeah. And on other days, he and George (Miller, the director) went at it," she revealed during an interview with Esquire. "It was the isolation, and the fact that we were stuck in a rig for the entire shoot. We shot a war movie on a moving truck-there's very little green screen. It was like a family road trip that just never went anywhere. We never got anywhere. We just drove. We drove into nothingness, and that was maddening sometimes."
What's even more frightening, according to Theron, was that they did not have a script. Both she and Hardy are professional actors who take their craft seriously, so with uncertain ground whether they can or cannot deliver their roles and please their director is a frightening place for them to be in.
But the actress admits that she would still prefer working with someone who is completely honest like Hardy as opposed to someone who "fake-smiles" through everything. "When you're with somebody and you don't feel like you're in their emotional truth, then you don't trust them," she said. "I think good actors go all the way. If you want to be a safe actor, and you emotionally protect yourself from things getting out of hand, the performance will show all of that."
She is grateful that Hardy is someone who was willing to venture into the "deep dark corners of emotional truth" with her, and she credits this to their onscreen chemistry. Of course, after all the bickering and tension while filming, Theron and Hardy left on good terms.
In fact, she even received the sweetest albeit weird gift from Hardy - a self-portrait with a red handprint on the back. There was even an inscription: "You are an absolute nightmare, BUT you are also awesome. I'll kind of miss you. Love, Tommy."
Theron appreciates the gift and said, "We drove each other crazy, but I think we have respect for each other, and that's the difference. This is the kind of stuff that nobody wants to understand-there's a real beauty to that kind of relationship."
