Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu & Finn Cole on Becoming Real-life Divers in Last Breath (EXCLUSIVE)

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Imagine if you had to spend all your time with your colleagues for extended periods, even 24 hours a day? It’s likely not something you’d look forward to. However, that’s the reality for saturation divers who live in pressurized chambers for weeks while working deep under the ocean surface during their assignments. This is vividly portrayed in Focus Features’ latest deep-sea thriller, “Last Breath“, starring Woody Harrelson known for his roles in “Zombieland” and “Cheers“, Simu Liu from “Barbie” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings“, and Finn Cole, famous for his appearances in “F9” and “Peaky Blinders“.

In this job, having a friend stay over for a weekend is casual and easy, but for saturation divers who work together 24/7 for an entire month, it’s crucial that they have a strong and hopefully positive relationship. This was certainly the case with us, as Harrelson explained to NBC Insider, gesturing towards his two colleagues.

While their jobs aren’t typically wild, the movie portrays a truly harrowing incident that occurred in 2012 under stormy conditions in the North Sea. The support ship, anchoring divers Chris Lemons (Cole), Dave Yuasa (Liu), and Duncan Allcock (Harrelson) was lost power that night. At the time, Lemons and Yuasa were working on an oil rig manifold, while Allcock remained 300 meters below the ship in a dive bell, overseeing the umbilical cords supplying heat, breathable gas, light, and communication to his colleagues.

Due to a blackout overhead, Lemons and Yuasa had to hurry their return towards the bell. However, tragedy struck Lemons when his lifeline broke during the haste, giving him only limited air supply from his emergency tank. The nail-biting climax of the movie revolves around the race to restore power on the ship and rescue Lemons before it’s too late.

Finn Cole and Simu Liu talk dive training for Last Breath

For an authentic depiction of the film’s underwater scenes, Cole and Liu went through intense scuba training at Malta Film Studios, as well as a seven-day saturation diving course guided by Abigail Borgm, the dive supervisor for Last Breath, who also happens to be the son of a seasoned North Sea saturation diver. Saturation diving necessitates using specialized equipment that’s quite different from scuba gear, such as a large helmet setup and the crucial umbilical.

Cole shared, “Indeed, it took about three or four weeks for my underwater training. I advanced in scuba diving techniques, then put on the specialized gear and began saturation diving properly with all equipment. That was our extensive training regime… And I couldn’t have accomplished it without Simu by my side. I believe we both grew and embarked on this together from the outset.

Liu playfully remarked, “I’m a bit quicker,” which sparked some debate among them. Later, Liu became more serious. He expressed how amazing it was to swim with Finn, who was equally eager and ready for any challenges. This enthusiasm seemed to bring out the best in Liu. He added that this experience was likely one of the most significant moments in both their careers, imbuing it with deep meaning.

Additionally, the actors had the opportunity to interact with the genuine heroes who braved the treacherous waters under the North Sea on that fateful night – Allcock, Yuasa, and Lemons, their real-life counterparts.

Harrelson shared that he enjoyed meeting both Duncan and Liu’s character (Dave), stating they were intriguing personalities with deep philosophies. He further mentioned that delving into their world was a remarkable experience for him.

How can you watch Last Breath?

Last Breath is in theaters everywhere now. Get your tickets here!

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2025-02-28 18:31