Colin Firth had to find his sea legs for latest role.

Colin Firth

Colin Firth

The Oscar-winning actor has been busy shooting 'The Mercy', which tells the story of disgraced amateur yachtsman Donald Crowhurst who entered a round the world race in 1968.

Crowhurst entered the race in the hope of winning the cash prize to aid his failing business, but he encountered difficulties, abandoned the race and gave false positions in an attempt to convince people he had circumnavigated the world.

The tale ends in tragedy with Crowhurst taking his own life.

For the role, Firth had to film many scenes on a boat on the water but he never suffered from sea-sickness once.

Producer Peter Czernin told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Colin was on that boat, and there was no sea-sickness from him - or any of the leading actors.

"Colin handled the boat brilliantly, but there was always someone there, helping him, because you don't want your lead actor floating off into nowhere. That would be bad. Also, the boat wasn't cheap."

The film gets its title from an entry in Crowhurst's log book, which was discovered on his abandoned boat.

The entry reads: "I can no longer play the game. It is the end. It is the mercy."

'The Mercy' also stars Rachel Weisz as Crowhurst's wife Claire,

David Thewlis as Crowhurst's press agent Rodney Hallworth, and Ken Stott as Stanley Best, Crowhurst's sponsor.

The film is due to be released by Studio Canal in early 2017.


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