Damson Idris Explains Why He Was Horrified While Shooting One F1 Scene with Brad Pitt: ‘I’m Going to Lose My Job Now’

Damson Idris detailed a very uncomfortable moment that he shared on the set of F1 with his costar and onscreen mentor Brad Pitt.

In the Formula 1 racing film, Idris, 33, portrays rookie driver Joshua Pearace, who is mentored by Pitt’s Sonny Hayes after he comes out of retirement.

During a Wednesday, June 18, appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Idris joked that he was worried about losing his job after filming one particularly “rageful” scene.

“It’s so funny working with Brad. He’s such a beautiful human being, such a giving actor. And we once did a scene where I had to scream in his face, and it was like the biggest scene for me. I was so nervous,” Idris explained.

He continued, sharing, “In between the takes, I spat in Brad Pitt’s face,” he admitted.

“It was an accident. It was a rageful scene,” the Snowfall alum explained, saying that he “watched the spit go to Brad,” who had a shocked reaction.

However, Pitt handled the incident like a pro, Idris added. “And then he kept going, and in my head I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh. I just spat on Brad Pitt’s face.’ I was like, ‘I’m going to lose my job now.’ And I watched the spit the whole take, it was just there dribbling down.”

Before sharing the story, Idris poked fun at Pitt’s status in Hollywood.

After host Stephen Colbert referred to the actor as “This really promising, up-and-coming new guy named Brad Pitt,” Idris replied, saying, “He is good. He has a really bright future, that guy,”

He continued while chuckling, “I hope he sticks around.”

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The younger star also recalled a time when he thought that he came very close to meeting Pitt before his own Hollywood career took off.

“I used to work at the Lyceum Theatre. I was an usher there in London,” he said, noting that he thought Pitt had attended a production of The Lion King there.

“The reason I worked there is because I wanted to spy on actors and try and learn, be a sponge. And one day Brad Pitt comes in to watch the play, and I’m at the back working. So I rush out, ‘Oh my gosh, Brad Pitt’s here.’ And I don’t catch him. I see blonde hair, blue jeans and some tan boots just walk out the door. I said, ‘Wow, one day I’m going to work with him,’ ” Idris said.

His promise to himself wound up coming true, but it turns out that Idris might not have actually seen Pitt in the theater after all.

“I told Brad the story. I said, ‘Hey, when I was younger, I saw you. You came to The Lion King.’ He was like, ‘I’ve never seen The Lion King,’ ” he joked.

Elsewhere in the interview, Idris confirmed that he and Pitt actually drove the cars for their roles.

“We drove up to 180 miles per hour,” he said, revealing that he “tried” to race against Pitt. “Brad is really fast. He is just such an amazing adrenaline junkie. He rides bikes.”

Regarding his training for the role, Idris said that it lasted about four months. “And it took us around two years to make this movie,” he joked. “I had two years of F1 experience under my belt. Technically, I’m probably faster than Lewis Hamilton.”

F1 opens in theaters on June 27.