Nojan Aminosharei

In the movie, <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a25934824/chris-hemsworth-thor-workout-app-interview/" id="173df1b2-a4ff-39bd-a546-e7a14740dd6d"> Chris Hemsworth </a> plays Tyler Rake, a mercenary with a death wish and an assignment to extract the son of an Indian crime lord kidnapped by a rival cabal. The movie, which drops on Netflix today, is a frenetic race through the streets of Ahmedabad, India but with an emotional through-line that the Russos wanted to see even in its epic fight scenes. They tapped Hargrave because they know his work intimately, and knew he could bring emotion to his authentic approach to action. The results are a seemingly uninterrupted 12-minute-long fight sequence, authentic Hemsworth tears, and just the kind of pulse-racing our sedentary bodies we need right now.

So to mark the release of Extraction, Hargrave talked to Men's Health to break down what really goes into an epic action sequence, how Chris Hemsworth ranks among <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27253878/marvel-characters-avengers-endgame-most-appearances-mcu/" id="99372e77-54c6-310c-a416-4d686bc6dc04"> MCU actors </a> in the fight scene department, and the time he and his fellow stunt double brother both donned Captain American costumes and duked it out.

The big set-piece of the movie is a nearly 12-minute-long action sequence that you call "The Oner" because it's made to look like one grueling, continuous shot. How much time and work goes into just that one seamless scene?

That particular sequence took us probably four or five months from conception to completion, because it wasn't written that way originally. It was a big chase, exciting on the page, but once we decided to shoot it as an apparent one-take it became something that would be very ambitious to pull off. And so we had to make sure that everybody was on the same pagethere were a lot of rehearsals, a lot of location scouts, taking the stunt team to the locations to make sure the action fit the space and fit the characters.

So the preparation was very technical and logistical. And then we had actors rehearsing to make sure they knew all the moves. We wanted to focus on keeping our actors on camera as much as possible, not relying on stunt doubles and quick cuts to hide things. So they needed to be well prepared, and that kind of stuff takes time. We ended up shooting for, I think, 10 days in sequence. It was really gratifying to finish something like that.

The sequence reminded me of another outstanding sequence you choreographed for Atomic Blonde. Both were long and looked seamless, but I was more struck by the controlled messiness of the fighting. It's not modern dance-as-action. Both scenes involved a lot of struggling, getting winded, grabbing at each other, and clawing your way back up. How do you get that kind of authenticity in a fight scene?

Part of the benefit of doing a longer, extended action sequence is that your performers arent just doing it for four or five minutes before you cut and they get to rest. By the time you get to the end, there's not a lot of acting requiredthe performers are really tired. So I just tell them to play it real. If they got to take a second, we built in beats. If you watch a UFC or boxing match, there's a lot of resting going on. So part of the balance is to not rest so long that people get bored and tune out, but you still want to be real to that scenariofeel the pain, feel the recovery time, feel what the characters are going through in that moment.

Chris Hemsworth is a paragon of fitness. Did he struggle with any part of it?

To hear him describe the Onerpreparing for it and shooting ithe says its one of the hardest things he's ever done for a movie. And as fit as he is, fitness is all very relative. If somebody runs a marathon, they may have a hard time lifting. If somebodys an Olympic sprinter, they may not be able to do grappling. Chris is always in shape, it's just the variety and amount of things he had to doyou're running up and down stairs, you're grappling, you're crawling on the ground, you're throwing punches, kickstheyre all very different ways of using your body. Overall, it was just very strenuous, but he trained hard for it. The only things he wouldnt do were the things we wouldn't allow him to do for insurance reasons. The stuntman had to get hit by a car, for example. But all the fighting, the running, the action that you see is Chris Hemsworth. He showed up every day with a smile and he made it fun.

One fight scene makes creative use of a rake. Was that in the script, or added in when mapping out the fight?

No, that was an addition. There was an early comment online, something like, "If Tyler Rake uses a rake to kill somebody, I'm going to lose my mind." So it was actually inspired by a fan of the genre. I thought, "You know, that's actually kind of brilliant." If that's the things that fans are looking for, then we should put it in there.

There's a scene when Chris jumps off a cliff and takes a very long drop into some water below. Did he do that himself?

That was a mixture of a lot of different camera tricks, truthfully. The location we found that had the cliff face that we liked, but the water there was not safe. So it was a blend of Hemsworth, who stepped off the cliff and jumpedquite a big jump, down 10 or 12 feetdown to a mat covered in blue screen. That was blended with a shot of his stunt double, Bobby Holland Hanton, landing into a body of water. But the most impressive thing to me about that whole sequence was the underwater shots. Hemsworth shot that in a water tank on a stage, but he would hold his breath for over two and a half minutes. We were counting it down. At two and a half minutes, we said, "Okay, we've got the shot twice already. Why don't you come on up? He just seemed to be in a relaxed, meditative state.

Well, that's above and beyond.

That just describes his attitude to the whole project: above and beyond. He was never satisfied with good enough, he always wanted to give his best, and he showed up every day and went above and beyond the call of duty.

You've works on stunts and fight scenes with a lot of big names. Who takes to it most naturally?

<a href="https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a27054025/charlize-theron-single-dating-long-shot/" id="755bbc2c-b1de-3711-aebb-19efbbd03530"> Charlize Theron </a> puts in an incredible amount of work and has a very strong inclination toward action. Hugh Jackman is another one who is very, very talented. Chris Evansanother one of the Chrisesis very good too. I've been fortunate in my career to work with super talented actors, but based on how closely we worked together, the conversations we had, and how much I feel I pushed him, I think Hemsworth takes the cake.

Were there any actors who didn't take to is so naturally, but really put in the work in a way that impressed you?

I think one of my favorite stories of that is probably Scarlett Johansson. She put in the work, she has the work ethic, and in her own solo <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a31976657/david-harbour-black-widow-stream-release-date/" id="b68e0506-3c86-36ce-a1e0-685d32cfbcc6"> Black Widow </a> movie, which hopefully comes out soon, youll be able to see that. She's become a symbol of what a female action hero is, and thats a testament to her hard work and discipline and all the time she puts into it. Shes taken it to the next level.

Y our brother Daniel Hargrave came on as Chris Evans' stunt double for Infinity War and Endgame after you hung up your cap . But then you put the Captain America costume on one more time for a fight scene in Endgame where Cap goes back in time and fights himself, which meant the Hargrave brothers were duking it out for that scene. How did it feel to work with your brother on that ?

That was one of the most amazing experiences in my film career to date. Growing up together back in North Carolina, my brother and I would make short movies together and put together fight scenes. Then he went into the professional baseball world, and I went into my world, into movies. When he got injured and wasn't able to continue playing, I said, "If you want to come try this out, there might be a job available." And to his credit, he put in a lot of hard work and became the best person for the job [of Chris Evanss stunt double]. He earned it.

I was directing the sequence, and my father was there for the four days we were shooting it, so I deciding to come out of retirement, so to speak. I shaved the beard, cut the hair, and went on camera again. It was my full circle moment in the Marvel Universe because I started on the first Avengers film, and now I was wearing that same 2012 Captain America suit. And to do it all opposite my brother, to get to fight with him on camera and to relive those childhood memories on the set of the biggest movie ever made, one that the whole world will be watchingit was just a very special, meaningful time for me.

That scene was pretty pivotal. With all of Marvel's secrecy, did you even know the context of what you were shooting?

There is a lot of secrecy in the Marvel Universe, but there are different levels of access and certain scripts. There's a blue script that some people get. Then theres a red script, that tells you whats actually happening, that only certain people get. And you read the red script while locked in a room with two Marvel security guards out front. I could read those scripts because I was technically a [second unit] director and I needed to communicate to someone like Chris Evans: This is where we're coming from, this where we're going, here's what you want.

How have you kept all the "red script" spoilers to yourself all these years?

You get practiced at it. You sign your NDA, they said, "Don't talk about it," so you don't. Being a fan of the Marvel Universe myself makes it a little easier. In a way, I wish I didn't know. So you hold onto the secrets because you dont want to spoil the surprise.

'Extraction' Director on Chris Hemsworth's Stunts

When Sam Hargrave first met the <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27347482/russo-brothers-avengers-endgame-directors-interview/" id="f2ed0c77-f45d-3720-a5ef-102acd3573d9"> Russo Brothers </a> direction team on the set of the 2012 Marvel film The Avengers, he was there to don the Cap's iconic helmet and shield as <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a31095982/chris-evans-little-shop-of-horrors-dentist/" id="430c6343-00c4-3912-aa26-6859b291d3d3"> Chris Evans </a>...

Extraction Director Sam Hargrave Reveals Chris Hemsworth's Impressive Stunt Process

"I don't think any athletes are out there saying, 'No, we should have [the Olympics this July],'" she tells Women's Health. "Everyone was saddened, of course. It's frustrating. It's hard. But I think athletes were relieved in a way, too, because it would have been a lot of stress to try to continue training, find safe places to train, and to manage it all at this time."

As an Olympic gold medalist and the co-captain who led the U.S. National Womens Soccer Team to World Cup victory in 2019, Megan's used her global platform to support fellow athletes and advocate for issues like LGBTQ rights and womens pay equity.

Even with live sports currently put on hold because of COVID-19, Megan is doing her part to fulfill that mission with Prodigy, a docuseries she hosts on the newly launched mobile streaming service <a href="https://quibi.com/" id="ded411f5-b125-3e1b-a77d-60af9ee12982"> Quibi </a> , which features shows and movies released in eight- to 10-minute long quick bites.

The show follows a roster of young athletes on the cusp of superstardom as they hustle to become the best. Each episode features a different athletewhose stories Megan hopes will showcase the kinds of resilience, passion, and triumph over adversity that the Olympic games provide.

We talked to Megan about the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics, how she and her partner, WNBA star Sue Bird, are maintaining their physical and mental health while social distancing, and how Prodigy will serve up a much-needed dose of motivation.

WH: The delay in the Olympics means that so many athletes from across the globe wont be able to tell their stories to the world. How do you feel about that?

MR: Oh, it's so sad. That's my favorite part about the Olympics, since I was a kidsitting down in front of the TV for hours and watching all the backstories and learning about all of the different athletes, some of whom you don't get to see very often. Maybe you only get to see them once every four years. So I'm thankful that it's been postponed and not just outright canceled.

There is such a build-up for so many years leading into a major event like this, and people work their whole livesand definitely for the last four yearsto get themselves in a position to be ready. It's a little weird to have to put that all on hold, but I'm now looking forward to the new stories coming into next year. What did everyone do to get ready and stay ready? How does everyone handle it? What stories change, and who's still there to compete? So it's a bummer, but an interesting opportunity.

What do you think the delay means for so many 2020 hopefuls?

The unfortunate thing is that probably not every single person who was going to make it this year will make it next year. This might have been someone's last year, or for whatever reason, maybe the way qualifiers go, things change leading into next year. It's going to be heartbreaking for some athletes. Then there's probably some people who will have another year [of training] under their belt, and they're going to be that much better. Maybe they were on the cusp of making it or not, and now they're getting an opportunity to make it. It's heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.

Social distancing has meant that athletes, like everyone else, now have to spend the vast majority of their time at home. Has that changed the way you approach training, or exercise in general?

Yeah, I can't train the way that I normally would train. I'm in the tri-state area, in Connecticut, and the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut area has been pretty hard. A lot of parks and schools and everything has been closed down, so even trying to get on a field has been a little bit difficult. So working out now is for my health and wellness and my mental stability. Were all inside a lot. So I've just tried to be easy on myself.

What does your regimen look like right now?

Were still working hard in the house, doing the most we can to get the sweat in, to get the workout in, and keep ourselves sane. Weve got a Peloton bike. We have some random <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g19963660/home-gym-equipment/" id="420f1236-bcea-3bc0-afbb-308becc29690"> home equipment </a> , like a med ball and some bands. My girlfriend, Sue [Bird], is a basketball player, so we do a lot of <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g30272452/exercises-at-home/" id="c5809134-6d70-3403-a24b-0f5b86be7ebf"> bodyweight exercises </a> anyways. We've just adapted and try to do the best we can, understanding that we're in the middle of a global crisisso if we can't do something, we can't do it and that's okay.

Do you lean on each other for motivation?

Oh, yeah, totally. I probably lean on her more. She's much more disciplined than I am. So it is really nice to have a workout buddy. We can have a little routine and we can keep each other motivated and lean on each other when one of us is feeling a little bit unmotivated.

Have you been in touch with your USWNT teammates?

Yeah, definitely. Weve just been seeing what everyone's up to, commenting on people's posts, and sending people texts. We've had a few FaceTime hangouts. Just checking in and making sure everyone's good and sane and keeping themselves going.

How are you staying informed?

Weve been watching a bit of the news every day to keep ourselves informed. Governor Cuomos briefings are our daily viewing for sure. The White House briefings are a little too unpredictable and filled with untruths, so we don't watch all of those.

The absence of SNL, from a content perspective, is a major tragedy in this particular timethat we're going through this, and we have White House briefings every day but don't have SNL. Can you just imagine if they were able to continue their magic right now? So we've reframed the way that we watched the White House briefingsthose have become SNL skits.

What else are you watching to stay entertained?

Its actually been really weird without sports. We both watch a lot of live sports, obviously the NBA. We were gearing up for playoffs. And that's all canceled right now. In the absence of live TV, all the streaming platforms are just killing it right now. We're watching Ozark and we watched Tiger King, of course.

Today youre putting your own streaming content into the world with Prodigy. What interested you in telling the stories of young athletes?

Usually in these kinds of stories, you're seeing someone whos had a long career and then going back to explore the history of it. It's like a deep dive looking back. They don't really tell the stories of younger athlete trying to grind and make it as young superstar right now. So I love that aspect of it. You're in the thick of their emotions right now, and the pressures, and what they're sacrificing, and how they're going through their daily lives. That's a story that we don't really have in sports that much.

What do you think makes this particular class of young athletes so compelling?

I love that they're all already exceptional and world leaders in their own right. But they're right at the very beginning of it all. They have the world in front of them, and you're getting to see the decisions they're making in real time, the stresses and sacrifices as theyre on that straight upward trajectory.

The stakes at that point in their lives are highand especially inspiring because of it.

Totally. For some families, this might be their way to a better life. A lot of athletes have that kind of story, but you rarely get to see that unfold and get that visceral understanding of the decision-making process, to see someone at 16 try to decipher the best path for their future. Do I change schools or not? Do I go overseas or not? Setting that clear goal that they have in mind, and at such a young age, too.

A lot of it is probably just going on instincts and gut feeling, which is remarkable to see live in action. They have the work ethic and the foresight and the motivation, all of that. But you're seeing it in its rawest formwith all the pressures of family and success and making a name for themselves, all in the same breath. This is going to be some good, uplifting motivation for people right now.

You can watch Prodigy on Quibi. <a href="https://quibi.com" id="a5516768-42da-375e-a33f-351db1f44e3b"> Download Quibi now for a 90-day free trial </a> .

Megan Rapinoe Watched Tiger King In Quarantine

When <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/28946033/tokyo-olympics-officially-postponed-2021" id="23bceeca-2f01-3740-a3a2-1087086d50a2"> the International Olympic Committee announced that 2020 Summer Olympics had been postponed until 2021 </a> , Megan Rapinoe says the decision came as both a heartbreakand a relief.

Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe On 2020 Olympics Delay, Staying Healthy While Social Distancing, And 'Prodigy' Premiere

Separating personal and professional can be as challenging as it is necessary. An expert in digital marketing and branding, Suhit Amin understands this balancing act very well.&nbsp;

A company’s reputation has a lot to do with whether it is successful. You might see the CEO as a very cold, tough human being. Yet if this person is running the company smoothly and customers are happy with the product or service, they have achieved their business goals and proven they are good at their job. In this case, consumers must decide if that product or service is worth more to them than their opinion of a person they don’t even know.&nbsp;

A large majority of the time, people decide their perspective of an individual will not affect their purchases. While it doesn’t give business higher-ups free reign to be terrible people, it is one of the contributing factors as to why they do not care what others think. This is an important lesson all entrepreneurs need to learn: stop worrying what other people think.&nbsp;

By all means, you want a strong professional relationship with your team and customers, but the key word is professional. You are part of an organisation to perform a job, not be people’s friend. When you are making a major decision for your company and being courted by multiple sales representatives, you must look past the person and make a decision based on what is being sold. The sales rep might be one of the least pleasant individuals you have ever come across, but if their option is the best one for your business, then so be it.

When it comes to interacting with your staff and customers, the objective is to be firm, fair, and uphold your company’s mission. Even if you are not liked personally, you must strive to be respected professionally. This is an especially difficult lesson for caring, friendly, and empathetic people, but being a nice boss doesn’t necessarily mean you will be able to make payroll that month. Sometimes you have to be the bad guy, but this does not make you a bad person.

When it comes to the business world, people can range from pleasant to cutthroat. One of the most important lessons entrepreneurs need to learn is that personal feelings come in second place.

Suhit Amin on the importance of balance in one’s personal and professional life

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Nojan Aminosharei

Articles written by the author

Extraction Director Sam Hargrave Reveals Chris Hemsworth's Impressive Stunt Process

Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe On 2020 Olympics Delay, Staying Healthy While Social Distancing, And 'Prodigy' Premiere

Suhit Amin on the importance of balance in one’s personal and professional life