‘I’m just an Eastern philosophy kind of guy’ 1
Captain America Chris Evans spent three weeks in Rishikesh in 2005-06, but is working so hard that he can’t return
The brain is a noisy place and all this is just to quiet it down. It’s certainly helpful
to me while I’m on sets
—Actor Chris Evans
Actor Chris Evans currently sports short dark hair, a promising beard and a Zen-like state of mind. Nothing like the buffed-up look he fashioned onscreen at the premiere of his upcoming biggie, The Avengers, which took place at the El Capitan theatre in LA on Wednesday. “I am a hat, beard, sunglasses kind of guy, but little kids are so good. They’ll just spot you in a crowd… that’s Captain America!” jokes Evans, who reprises his part as the superhero in Joss Whedon’s multi-cast film this April 27.
A still from The AvengersMost Hollywood actors have little to say when asked about India. In Evans’s case, there was no ‘I like Bollywood for its song and dance’ or ‘I’m coming to the country to see the Taj Mahal soon’ kind of answer. He knows absolutely nothing about the Hindi film industry. But during the course of the conversation, it became evident that he seemed to have a more spiritual connection in place. “I spent three weeks in Rishikesh in 2005 or 2006 at a Buddhist retreat. I attend a Buddhism class here in LA and the woman who teaches had trained there. So we all went and stayed in this little village for about three weeks, hiked the Himalayas, camped on the banks of the Ganga… it was great,” says Evans, who has been missing this annual trip with his group due to his film commitments. “And that really sucks!” he says.
At the age of 16 or 17, Evans began reading up and speaking to people about the philosophy, only to realise his calling. “There was a whole religion that felt the way I was feeling. That’s when I thought, ‘Wow, I think I’m a Buddhist’. But even in India you realise that Buddhism, Daoism and Hinduism are very similar. It’s just the dogma that separates these religions. And I’m not going to get caught up in that. I’m just more of an Eastern philosophy kind of guy,” says the actor, adding that, “The brain is a noisy place and all this is just to quiet it down. It’s certainly helpful to me while I’m on the sets.” >> ‘I almost didn't do Captain America’ P 8
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20 April 2012
15:36