Photo:Victor Boyko/Getty
Victor Boyko/Getty
Gran Turismotells the underdog tale of a teen who turns his gaming talents into a professional racing career. Unbelievable though the story may seem, the 2023 sports drama is based on true events and real people.
Iterations of gamer-turned-racer Jann Mardenborough, his parents and some of the story’s key players can all be seen in the biopic adaptation, but not every character has a real-life counterpart.David Harbour, for one, appears as a racing trainer named Jack Salter, though it’s unclear if he is based on a real coach. And while the actual Mardenborough competed against 90,000 entrants in the GT Academy competition that launched his career, his “rivals” in the movie don’t seem connected to any specific racers.
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Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough
Jakob Ebrey/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty, Gordon Timpen
The English gamer-turned-racer also served as a consultant and co-producer on the 2023 film based on his journey. Mardenborough even stepped in for his actor counterpart as a stunt driver while the cameras were rolling.
In a promotional video for the film, Madekwe and Mardenboroughsat down to discussthe real story behindGran Turismoand what it was like on set.
“I think it’s maybe the first film ever where there’s a film being made about someone’s life and they are stunt driving in the film,” shared Madekwe, who appeared in the 2019 thrillerMidsommar.
02of 05Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore (Based on GT Academy Founder Darren Cox)Getty, Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTubeOrlando Bloom’s character, Danny Moore, takes inspiration from Darren Cox, the real-life founder of GT Academy. During his tenure as European general manager for Nissan, Cox conceived the idea to giveGran Turismovideo game experts the chance to sit behind an actual wheel.In 2012, Cox spoke toThe New York Timesabout the thought process behind GT Academy. He explained that the equipment used in gameplay is remarkably similar to the actual vehicles, from the steering wheels to the pedals. He continued to say that driving in real life — “aiming a car, braking, turning the car into the right area, accelerating out of the corner,” as Cox described it — works the same way as it does in the game, “just without the G-forces.”
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Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore (Based on GT Academy Founder Darren Cox)
Getty, Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube
Orlando Bloom’s character, Danny Moore, takes inspiration from Darren Cox, the real-life founder of GT Academy. During his tenure as European general manager for Nissan, Cox conceived the idea to giveGran Turismovideo game experts the chance to sit behind an actual wheel.
In 2012, Cox spoke toThe New York Timesabout the thought process behind GT Academy. He explained that the equipment used in gameplay is remarkably similar to the actual vehicles, from the steering wheels to the pedals. He continued to say that driving in real life — “aiming a car, braking, turning the car into the right area, accelerating out of the corner,” as Cox described it — works the same way as it does in the game, “just without the G-forces.”
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Djimon Hounsou as Steve Mardenborough
Phil O’Brien/EMPICS via Getty, Sony Pictures Entertainment
04of 05Geri Halliwell as Lesley MardenboroughStephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via GettySpice Girls alumnaGeri Halliwellfeatures inGran Turismoas Jann Mardenborough’s mother, Lesley.In an interview withThe Sun,Jann said the singer “nailed” her part.“She did it perfectly,” he shared. “Everybody knows Geri Halliwell, but now she is playing my mum. It’s weird, it’s so crazy, so far-fetched.“Jann added that his mom had Halliwell’s phone number, and the two spoke regularly. “Geri would want to know how I would act in this situation,” Jann explained.A less public figure than her husband,Lesley once gave a brief interviewtoThe Guardianabout the film, calling her son pre-racing “not particularly outgoing and quite a home boy.”
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Geri Halliwell as Lesley Mardenborough
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty
Spice Girls alumnaGeri Halliwellfeatures inGran Turismoas Jann Mardenborough’s mother, Lesley.
In an interview withThe Sun,Jann said the singer “nailed” her part.
“She did it perfectly,” he shared. “Everybody knows Geri Halliwell, but now she is playing my mum. It’s weird, it’s so crazy, so far-fetched.”
Jann added that his mom had Halliwell’s phone number, and the two spoke regularly. “Geri would want to know how I would act in this situation,” Jann explained.
A less public figure than her husband,Lesley once gave a brief interviewtoThe Guardianabout the film, calling her son pre-racing “not particularly outgoing and quite a home boy.”
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Takehiro Hira as Kazunori Yamauchi
Takehiro Hira/Instagram, Naomi Baker - Gran Turismo/Gran Turismo via Getty
Like Jann Mardenborough, Yamauchi’s obsession with motorsports isn’t limited to the screen. The Japanese creator also raced professionally from 2009 to 2016, competing around the world for the likes of Honda and Nissan.
source: people.com
