Does Racing Legend Niki Lauda Approve of 'Rush'?

Portraying a real-life character is usually an intimidating task, but portraying a living character as Daniel Brühl did for Rush is even more daunting.

Brühl plays Austrian Formula One racer Niki Lauda, who is still hailed in Europe for his racing achievements. As a German native himself, Brühl was well-familiar with Lauda and his legacy.

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"In Germany, he's an icon. He's a living legend," Brühl said of the 64-year-old Lauda, who is now a racing pundit on German television. "He's still very present; you would see [him] on TV every day. So, it felt a bit strange at first and I was quite nervous."

Although his presence intimidated the actor who played him in Rush, which is out September 27, Lauda provided authenticity to the film by sharing intimate details of he and his rival's (James Hunt, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth) rapport.

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"What Peter [Morgan] (screenwriter), and Ron Howard (director, producer) especially, made out of this movie was incredible," Lauda praised. "When you look at it in an objective way, which I did, I really like it because it is exactly what happened in 1976."

Watch the video for more from Brühl and Lauda.