Tom Hiddleston on ‘Tenzing’ Filming: ‘We Did This for Real’

Tom Hiddleston and co-star Genden Phuntsok embraced the rigors of filming the new biographical drama Tenzing, venturing onto real mountains for sequences that demanded intense physical commitment.

"We did this for real. No sound stage, no studio, no green screen," Hiddleston told Decider. The film, which began streaming on Apple TV today, stars Phuntsok as Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa mountaineer who, alongside Edmund Hillary, portrayed by Hiddleston, became the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953.

The production filmed in the Himalayas and New Zealand, recreating the challenging environments faced by the historic climbers. Hiddleston recounted instances where he was dropped into crevasses and had to climb out, and the actors scaled a 40-foot ridge of rock and ice, mirroring the famous "Hillary Step."

"When you look over the edge there’s a precipitous drop all the way down to the bottom. Don’t look down and don’t fall down!" Hiddleston said of the experience. He added that the actors embraced the challenges as an honor and a thrill, allowing them to embody the roles of the renowned mountaineers.

Phuntsok, who makes his English-language film debut and plays Tenzing, described the demanding shoot. "All day we filmed, I’m just climbing in the snow—really climbing. Your weight is hanging, pulled back from my body, and I climb in front," he said, detailing a scene where he pulls Hiddleston up from a crevasse. "In the end, like the afternoon, when we’re wrapped, all my body was wet [with sweat]. I can feel that the outside is really cold, but inside is really hot, because I worked so hard."

Hiddleston expressed his admiration for the passion and dedication of mountaineers like Tenzing and Hillary, describing their climbs as acts of worship that make one feel intensely alive. He acknowledged the extreme dangers involved, emphasizing the constant need for awareness, competence, and respect for nature.

"It makes you feel so alive. It is, of course, incredibly dangerous and perilous," Hiddleston stated. "It’s the focus, the attention, that you need—you’re aware you are very small, in the face of truly awe-inspiring, majestic beauty."

While Hiddleston said he would love to experience climbing in such environments, he acknowledged that the risks associated with Everest itself might be too great, especially as a father. "It would be irresponsible," he said, noting that playing Hillary in the film has been a profound experience in itself.

Phuntsok, who grew up in a mountainous region, shared a deep connection to nature and the mountains. "I really love mountain and nature, especially just walking in the valley near the river. The sounds of the tree, and the birds, or the wind," he said. He expressed a desire to one day attempt climbing Mount Everest, even if just to the base camp, acknowledging, "I don’t believe that I can do that! But anyway, I would like to try to."

Hiddleston also highlighted the film's re-centering of the narrative on Tenzing Norgay, crediting director Jennifer Peedom and writer Luke Davies. "Tenzing, at the center of his own story, in a way which does not disrespect the achievements of the British climbers. It just re-positions their point of view," he explained.

The film explores the differing perspectives of the 1953 expedition, contrasting the British climbers' more goal-oriented approach with Tenzing's spiritual reverence for the mountain. Hiddleston noted that Tenzing viewed Everest not as a mountain to be conquered, but as a goddess to be revered.

"The suggestion is that Tenzing’s presence and leadership on the expedition helped to shift the attitude of the British climbers. Perhaps their own response to the mountain might be more spiritual," Hiddleston said. He concluded that the film ultimately shows a shared achievement, a testament to different individuals approaching the experience from diverse viewpoints and finding unity in their shared humanity.