“Tenzing”is streaming now on Apple TV, and the behind-the-scenes story is every bit as dramatic as the film. Tom Hiddleston plays Edmund Hillary and Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing Norgay, but neither actor faked the climbing. The production shot on location in Nepal’s Himalayan foothills and New Zealand’s South Island, with a 40-foot rock-and-ice ridge and a crevasse fall happening for real. No sound stage. No green screen.
Phuntsok, a Tibetan actor in his English-language debut, learned English and Sherpa and trained for months to take on the role. Director Jennifer Peedom and writer Luke Davies built the film around Tenzing’s perspective, reframing a story most of us only know from Hillary’s side. Willem Dafoe also stars as John Hunt.
Hiddleston called the experience an act of worship and a privilege, and admitted it may have ended any personal ambition to summit Everest himself. With family at home, the risk stopped being worth it. The film is a reminder that the mountain was never just a conquest. Would you climb Everest if someone handed you the chance?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.