Simu Liu says 'The Last Breath' saturation diving training demanded intensity and camaraderie

Simu Liu co-stars in a new survivalist escape movie about deep-sea divers battling the elements to rescue their crewmate.

Simu Liu co-stars in a new survivalist escape movie about deep-sea divers battling the elements to rescue their crewmate. And, he said, the training required him to go to new depths — both mentally and physically. 

The actor, who co-stars with Woody Harrelson and Finn Cole in the film “The Last Breath,” says he immersed himself in the world of saturation divers, deep-sea divers who descend to the bottom of the ocean to work on underwater engineering and ocean floor exploration. The movie hits theaters Friday. 

The movie dramatically retells the true story of Chris Lemons, a deep-sea diver who survived 40 minutes at the bottom of the North Sea with just 10 minutes worth of air in 2012. Lemons is played by Cole, and Liu plays co-diver David Yuasa. Harrelson plays the third diver, Duncan Allcock. 

“On the surface, no pun intended, it’s this incredible story about survival in one of the most treacherous environments you can experience on the planet,” Liu told NBC News. “It’s a window into the lives of these people who work in a field that I don’t think anyone grows up thinking about or really knowing about.”

The actor says he was drawn to the camaraderie displayed by real-life saturation divers. The same spirit was needed between Liu and his co-stars as it was an incredibly physical and demanding role to prepare for. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/simu-liu-last-breath-saturation-diving-rcna193911

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