Like Paul Newman and Patrick Dempsey before him, another actor is looking to take the start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. German-Irish Oscar winner Michael Fassbender, previously seen in Inglourious Basterds, Prometheus and X-Men among others, is also an endurance racing driver. He has competed in the European Le Mans Series LMGTE class for the last two seasons. At the wheel of Proton Competition's Porsche 911 RSR-19, he finished the year in fifth place in the LMGTE drivers classification with teammates Richard Lietz and Felipe Laser.

In 2020, Fassbender was able to hit the track at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in the Porsche Carrera Cup support race. In an interview recently given to the European Le Mans Series, the actor shared what the legendary 24 Hours means to him. Michael Fassbender: "Le Mans features some of the greatest drivers who have ever lived. Taking part in a 24-hour race shows the importance of teamwork. All of the mechanics, engineers and drivers who work in conjunction with each other make this race truly unique." He also discussed what his experience at the circuit was like: "If I'm honest, I would say it was intimidating. When I got to the track for the first time, I was affected by the venu. The feeling was underscored by the history of the race and driving on roads open to traffic the rest of the year. When you participate in race week, it is the only time of year you can drive on portions of the circuit and I wasn't aware of that. Naturally, I've always been drawn to Le Mans and have always been a motorsport fan, but to be there and actually race is very addictive. I can't really describe it, but as soon as I'd done my session, I wanted to hit the track again." Lastly, according to Fassbender, the race has a special allure for drivers: "The history of this race makes it magnetic. When you think about how it all started, the drivers who've done it, the constructors who go to do battle, it is an extraordinary legacy."

Michael Fassbender's interview with the European Le Mans Series is available here, and check out the Season 3 episodes of Michael Fassbender: Road to Le Mans.