Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, co-starring Chris Hemsworth as the messianic figure Dementus and Anya Taylor-Joy as the equally driven Furiosa, rocked the worldwide box office with almost $60 million in receipts when it opened, and with solid reviews.

One critic wrote: “…employing Christian iconography and Arthurian legend to craft an entrancing story that still manages to surprise, even if we already know of the bleak future it’s guiding us toward. It’s simply one of the best prequels ever made.”

We caught up with Aussie Chris Hemsworth, who has similarly rocked the Marvel Universe as Thor, to talk about appearing in an iconic Aussie franchise, and as a villain, this time.

With origins in Australia, what was it like being part of this iconic Mad Max franchise?

The Mad Max franchise is special to us Australians. Americans have Star Wars. The Brits have Harry Potter. But this franchise has been around for 45 years, I grew up watching the earlier movies with my family. And, it was a personal pinnacle to work with director George Miller, who created the franchise. I had to pinch myself, that I was actually doing a Mad Max film.

What was the challenge of taking on a villainous role in Mad Max?

Playing the hero has certain expectations, and you got to play by rules. I really changed it up playing a villain and it was a lot of fun. So, here I’m playing a murderous psychopath, and I tried to tap into the joy of breaking rules when you’re a kid, letting your imagination run wild. So, it was awesome to play a character who’s allowed to break the rules. It was refreshing to try on a different guise.

Your stuntman says if you weren’t one of the top actors, you could be one of the top stuntmen?

My stuntman, Bobby (Holland Hanton) is a lovely guy, but he does all the hard stuff and makes me look good. At the end of the day, he gets injured and I don’t. He says his memory is shot because he lands on his head for a living. I love the guy like a brother, and we’ve done over 15 movies together.

Why did you get into acting?

My goal when getting into acting was that I wanted to transform and transport into other worlds, to be part of an adventure. And with Mad Max, it was that sort of adventure to the furthest extent. I was in the makeup chair for 3-4 hours, then when you look into the mirror you don’t recognize the face looking back at you. Now, that is the type of transformation I dreamed of.

What did you learn on the series, “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth,” a mission to discover how we can live longer and better?

There were challenges to conquer fear, another to fast for four days. But, the cold-water immersion into the Arctic really was an eye-opener. I jumped in, started swimming, and I got this initial hit of adrenaline. But then I felt the most extreme pain, and dizziness. I needed help getting out of the water. But, then I never felt the endorphin kick and elation than after the swim. I felt serene and peaceful, and an overwhelming joy—I learned that any time you achieve something in the face of adversity, you can achieve extreme joy and peace. A surge of positive emotion.

What are some implications for us regular folk?

There’s compelling evidence that even a cold shower can benefit us, that it can give us a huge endorphin kick. Yes, getting into an ice bath is brutal, but when you get out, you will get an instant surge of energy.

Check out author Ashley Jude Collie’s new cops and gangsters book, Harlem to Hollywood, and buy it on Amazon, worldwide.