NEWSMatthew Fox is a Speed Freak
May 7 2008, Published 11:37 a.m. ET
Matthew Fox has been known to "peel out" at traffic lights.
"I've peeled out at a stop light for sure, absolutely," the 41-year old actor tells Parade.com's Jeanne Wolf. "If I'm in the right car and there's no traffic in front of me, I'm definitely known to peel out at the stoplight."
It seems perfect then that Matthew is starring in the big screen version of Speed Racer, in which his character, the mysterious Racer X, is a lead-foot with a need for speed.
To get ready for the role, Fox--who admits he's used to walking around the Lost set in shorts and no shirt--had to don a tight fitting leather racing outfit as Racer X.
"I felt pretty good until I had to do a fight scene, which I don't recommend if you're wearing leather," Fox says. "It was grueling and the dehydration that I experienced was really intense. I was really exhausted at the end."
His character's clothes weren't just hard to fight in. Fox says he had initial trouble fitting into the leather suit!
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"It was snug but I was forewarned," he says. "I think it was director Larry Wachowski who said, 'You know the suit is going to be pretty tight,' Which was his way of saying, 'Get in shape.' And so I did. I hired a trainer for the first time in my life. I'm glad I did."
Matthew says that in 'real life' he feels right at home behind the wheel of a fast car.
"I am and always have been interested in cars," he says. "One of my hobbies is taking '50s vintage cars and modernizing them with all the new technology and making them really fun to drive. I loved that era of car design. I'm working on a 1950s Mercury Coup right now that is really going to be cool."
