Netflix’s new Liam Neeson movie, The Ice Road, puts a crime thriller spin on the very dangerous and very real job of ice road trucking. An entire reality show about the profession was on the air for a decade, proving just how interested people are in the twists and turns that come with that specific job. It’s no surprise that the film has been a hit for Netflix, but part of that success is due to the authenticity with which the film approached trucking.
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The actors in The Ice Road actually learned how to drive the rigs across the ice, getting training from the drivers that do it for a living. ComicBook.com recently spoke with Ice Road star Benjamin Walker, who opened up a bit about the training process and challenges that came with learning the job.
“I have so much respect for people who drive trucks,” Walker said. “I had driving training. We’re in a parking lot in a brand new Kenworth. He says, ‘Now, these guys are virtually impossible to stall, so let’s just ease it into first gear. Then we’ll do a couple laps, and you can get a feel for the rig,’ at which point, I eased it right into a stall. I think I impressed him, I was so terrible.”
“There’s a kind of art to it, because there’s a speed threshold, because the ice in a huge sheet is actually flexible,” he continued. “If you go too fast, it will create a pressure wave that undulates in front of you, and ultimately cracks the ice and causes you a problem. So it’s not only these huge rigs and these huge machines. It’s also a game of finesse, which I found really interesting.”
While Walker admitted that he had a tough time getting the hang of the trucks, one of his co-stars handled it like a pro. When we asked which actor was the best at driving the rigs on set, Walker didn’t hesitate.
“Laurence Fishburne,” Walker said with a grin. “He’s ice cold. He’s cool.”
It may have been a challenge to figure the rigs out, but the practice paid off in the final product.
The Ice Road is now streaming on Netflix.
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