How ‘Gran Turismo’ Racer Jann Mardenborough Became a Stunt Driver in His Own Life Story

variety.com:

Todd Gilchrist editor Before it became a movie — but after first launching as a series of racing simulation games — “Gran Turismo” was the platform that in 2011 allowed Jann Mardenborough to become a professional driver.

At 20, and even from behind a virtual console, the Cardiff, Wales native was so skilled at navigating the complexities of the sport — not just the races themselves but the assembly of his vehicles’ literal nuts and bolts — that he earned a chance to attend Nissan and PlayStation’s GT Academy, and later to compete against real professionals on the same world-class tracks recreated in the game.

12 years later, “Gran Turismo” tells Mardenborough’s incredible story, for which he returns the favor by being the driving double of actor Archie Madekwe, who plays him in the film. “The movie focuses on the first four years of my career where I was a Nissan driver,” Mardenborough tells Variety. “Revisiting that is cool, because I’m not somebody who likes to do that too often.

But I’m very blessed to have this opportunity to tell this chapter of my life.” Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the film charts his path from desk jockey to podium-finishing driver.