The Way Back

Harris plays Mr. Smith in this dramatic adventure co-written and directed by Peter Weir and based on a true story. Smith moves to the Soviet Union to find work and ends up imprisoned in a Siberian gulag. The film centers on his escape and journey on foot across 4,000 miles to freedom. Co-starring Colin Farrell and Jim Sturgess. On preparing for the role:

I dropped some weight before I got over there. I was doing certain physical things to get myself ready. Doing some physical labor to get some calluses. Also, doing some personal work where I was finding a real centered, quiet place. I think in this situation – you get thrust into a gulag or concentration camp – and it seems to me the only thing that’s going to keep you alive is yourself.