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visit
stack.net.au jbhifi.com.au12
JULY
2016
R
e-nventing the Lord of the Jungle
for a new generation, the sight of
Alexander Skarsgård’s naked
torso is, in itself, good reason to see
The
Legend of Tarzan
.
However, when
STACK
meets with the
actor, he is unfortunately fully clothed,
despite a futile attempt to mess with
the hotel thermostat prior to his arrival,
resulting in us both just being rather hot
and sweaty.
His father, the veteran actor Stellan
Skarsgård, was almost more thrilled about
the role than Alex, having been a lifelong
fan of Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan.
With pressure both from the studio and
his fans, but also his dad, he set out to
sculpt the most badass Tarzan the world
has ever seen, working out twice-daily,
living like a monk on a restricted diet,
and shunning all company, including his
girlfriend, British fashionista Alexa Chung.
“It was very physical and intense,"
explains the actor who first sent pulses
racing in
True Blood
. "I am not at all
agile and I can’t even touch my toes,
so there was a lot of yoga and pilates
and stretching and trying to become
more limber. I wanted to put on some
weight, but I also didn’t want to look like
a bodybuilder. This is a guy who grew up
in the jungle, so it’s important that he can
move like an animal through the jungle.
“Fortunately I had the best people in the world
working with me, from the stunt coordinator
to the trainer to the choreographer, Wayne
McGregor.
“But here’s the biggest secret: it’s a trapeze
artist doing most of my stunts. One of the best
trapeze artists in the world came in and did that
and then they put my face and my body on his
movements. So I can’t sit here and take credit for
all the crazy stuff."
With Jane portrayed as a damsel in distress
in most of the previous Tarzan films, Margot
Robbie‘s twist on the character is quite different:
“You don’t cast Margot if you’re looking for a
damsel in distress,” laughs Skarsgård. “Margot
has this amazing energy and is very confident.
We didn’t want it to feel like Tarzan is just saving
her because, in many ways, he needs her more
than she needs him. He is vulnerable when he is
not with her.”
They instantly clinched the sizzling on-screen
chemistry. “She is the most energetic and lovely
human being, which is important because we get
separated early on in the movie, so you need to
be invested and root for us to get back together,
because if the chemistry doesn’t work, then we
don’t have a movie,” he says.
Gill Pringle
The Legend of Tarzan
is in cinemas on July 7.
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