TV - Movies
How The Cast Of
Thirteen Lives
Researched Their
Real-Life
Characters
By REUBEN BARON
Ron Howard’s new movie “Thirteen Lives” tells the true story of how a team of people from around the world helped save a youth soccer team trapped inside Thailand’s Tham Luang cave system. The cast, which includes Viggo Mortensen and Joel Edgerton, had to do special research to portray their real-life characters.
Mortensen, along with Colin Farrell and Tom Bateman, were able to speak extensively with the individuals they played — divers Rick Stanton, John Valanthen and Chris Jewell. Bateman says that many of the divers attended the London premiere of “Thirteen Lives” and offered high praise to all of the actors.
For those actors who couldn't directly ask questions to the people they were playing, their research was made significantly easier by how in-depth all the news coverage of this story was. Ploy Tungsupakul says she "went back to watch the documentary, the news, and interviews of the real parents and focused on the reactions of the parents at that time, [to see] what they felt."