David Harbour’s Nostalgic David Harbour revealed a surprise inspiration for his role in Gran Turismo in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Unlike many actors who are pulled to films by directors or personal relationships, Harbor’s nostalgia for Hoosiers drives him to work.
Harbour, who played Jack Salter, a mentor who helped Jann Mardenborough become a professional racer in Gran Turismo, discussed his inspiration throughout the conversation. He joined the project because of Hoosiers, a 1986 sports drama about a high school basketball team’s state championship run. Hoosiers is in the U.S. National Film Registry and has a 91 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Harbour loved Hoosiers and saw Gran Turismo as a chance to reinvent the 80s classic. Harbour easily incorporated his artistic flair into Jack Salter, drawing from Gene Hackman’s Hoosiers Norman Dale.
Harbour said, “Yes, but only because I see Hoosiers every couple of years. I took this movie because of Gene Hackman and Hoosiers. I read the Gran Turismo script from my agent and thought, ‘Oh my God, I get to adapt Hoosiers for a younger audience.’ That was thrilling, and Hackman’s Norman Dale was my North Star. He’s more complicated than Jack. He has more going on, and the story is about him, but it was a good model. I’m doing my work and want it to be unique, although you can borrow archetypal models and clichés.”
Harbour’s character, Jack Salter, is a mix of people who shaped Jann’s racing career. Harbour told Digital Spy that Gran Turismo’s unique style emphasizes narrative effect over factual truth.
Gran Turismo captures an astonishing race story on film. The movie follows a gamer’s development into a professional racer and has an average Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 61 and an audience rating of 98%. After its Belgian debut, the film will visit theaters on August 25, 2023. David Harbour’s nostalgia lends intrigue to this film’s expectations.
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