Christopher Hemsworth was born on August 11, 1983, in Melbourne, to Leonie and Craig Hemsworth. His mother worked as an English teacher, while his father was a social-services counselor. He is the middle child among three brothers, with Luke being the oldest and Liam being the youngest, both of whom are also actors. His maternal grandfather immigrated from the Netherlands, and his maternal grandmother has Irish roots. On his father’s side, he has English, Scottish, and German ancestry. Hemsworth spent his early years in both Melbourne and the Outback in Bulman, Northern Territory. He recalls fond memories of his time in the Outback, surrounded by crocodiles and buffalo. While most of his childhood was spent in Melbourne, his most vivid memories are from his time in Bulman. He attended Heathmont College for high school before his family relocated to the Northern Territory and later to Phillip Island.
Hemsworth embarked on his career by featuring in various television series. In 2002, he portrayed King Arthur in two episodes of the fantasy series Guinevere Jones, and also made appearances in the soap opera Neighbours and an episode of Marshall Law. The following year, he had a role in an episode of The Saddle Club. In 2004, Hemsworth auditioned for a part in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, initially trying out for Robbie Hunter but later landing the role of Kim Hyde. Relocating to Sydney, he became a part of the cast and appeared in 171 episodes of the series before departing on July 3, 2007. Despite gaining visibility through Home and Away, Hemsworth felt that his work on a soap opera did not garner him respect in the film industry.
Hemsworth participated as a contestant on the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia, paired with professional dancer Abbey Ross. However, he was eliminated after six weeks, with concerns from Marvel film franchise producers that his appearance in the show might deter fans. In 2009, he portrayed George Kirk in the opening scenes of J. J. Abrams’ film Star Trek after the role was turned down by Matt Damon. Hemsworth’s performance garnered praise, with some critics hailing it as exceptional. He also appeared in the thriller A Perfect Getaway the same year, receiving acclaim for his portrayal of Kale Garrity. Hemsworth continued to diversify his roles, starring in Ca$h in 2010 alongside Sean Bean. His talent and appearance quickly gained attention, with The Hollywood Reporter naming him as one of the young male actors making a mark in Hollywood.
In 2011, Hemsworth was set to star in the thriller Shadow Runner, but the project has yet to materialize. However, that same year marked a significant turning point in his career as he landed the role of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His portrayal of the superhero in the film Thor earned widespread acclaim, and he reprised the role in subsequent Marvel films, including The Avengers. Hemsworth’s performances garnered praise, contributing to the critical and commercial success of the films. He also appeared in other projects such as The Cabin in the Woods, Snow White and the Huntsman, and the Red Dawn remake, showcasing his versatility as an actor despite some mixed reviews for certain films.
In 2013, Hemsworth took on the role of 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt in Ron Howard’s sports drama film Rush. The movie received critical acclaim and performed well at the box office, earning $98.2 million against a $38 million budget. Henry Barnes from The Guardian lauded Hemsworth’s portrayal, commending his mastery in delivering the superb script. Later that year, he returned as Thor in the sequel Thor: The Dark World. Despite its commercial success, grossing $644.6 million worldwide, the film garnered mixed reviews, with a 66% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the chemistry between Hemsworth and Hiddleston, with Ben Child of The Guardian noting their impressive collective charisma.
In 2015, Hemsworth starred in Michael Mann’s action thriller Blackhat opposite Viola Davis. The film underperformed at the box office and faced negative reviews. Many critics criticized Hemsworth’s casting as a hacker, with Christy Lemire from the Chicago Sun-Times suggesting that a hacker wouldn’t typically resemble Hemsworth’s hunky appearance. Hemsworth himself expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, admitting that he felt his portrayal fell flat. Despite this setback, he reprised his role as Thor in Avengers: Age of Ultron, which received positive reviews and grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide. Hemsworth also won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Action Movie Actor. Additionally, in 2015, he appeared in the comedy film Vacation alongside Ed Helms, and portrayed first mate Owen Chase in the adaptation of In the Heart of the Sea. The latter received mixed reviews and performed below expectations at the box office, but Hemsworth earned a nomination for Choice Movie Actor: Action at the 18th Teen Choice Awards.
In 2016, Hemsworth revisited his role as Eric the Huntsman in The Huntsman: Winter’s War, alongside Jessica Chastain as his love interest. Oliver Lyttelton, writing for IndieWire, criticized their onscreen chemistry, noting their struggle with accents and lack of connection. The film performed below expectations, grossing only $165 million. Following this, Hemsworth joined the cast of the Ghostbusters reboot as Kevin the receptionist. Despite the film’s disappointing reception, he was praised for bringing fun to his role and won the Kids’ Choice Awards for Favorite Movie Actor.
Hemsworth returned as Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, released in 2017, and reprised the role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame in 2018 and 2019, respectively. All three films were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Hemsworth’s performance in Thor: Ragnarok was compared to Cary Grant’s charisma by Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com. He won the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Sci-Fi Movie Actor for his role. Additionally, his portrayal of Thor in Avengers: Endgame was praised by Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal for his comic timing and heroism.
In 2019, Hemsworth starred in Men in Black: International, a spin-off of the Men in Black series, alongside Tessa Thompson. The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between Hemsworth and Thompson but criticizing the plot and action sequences. The following year, he starred in the Netflix action thriller Extraction, which became a record-breaking success for the streaming platform. Hemsworth reprised his role as Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, released in 2022.
In 2022, Hemsworth collaborated with filmmaker Darren Aronofsky on the National Geographic documentary series Limitless With Chris Hemsworth, exploring various methods humans use to enhance their health. The series sparked controversy when Indigenous groups criticized the filming at a sacred site. Hemsworth also returned as Tyler Rake in Netflix’s Extraction 2 (2023), for which he earned $20 million.
Upcoming projects for Hemsworth include starring in the Mad Max: Fury Road spin-off Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and voicing a younger Optimus Prime in the Transformers prequel film Transformers One.
Hemsworth entered a relationship with Spanish model and actress Elsa Pataky in early 2010, introduced by their mutual representatives. They tied the knot in December 2010. Their family expanded with the birth of a daughter in May 2012, followed by twin sons in March 2014. Relocating from Los Angeles to Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, became their new home in 2015.
Their children are engaged in Brazilian jiu-jitsu training under Thalison Soares, participating in national competitions with Hemsworth’s support.
In recognition of his contributions, Hemsworth was honored as a Member of the Order of Australia during the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
In the fifth episode of his National Geographic series Limitless (2022), Hemsworth disclosed that his maternal grandfather is battling Alzheimer’s disease. He also shared that he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene, one from each parent, significantly increasing his risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life compared to the general population.
Name | Chris Hemsworth |
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Date of Birth | 11/08/1983 |
Current Residence | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Religion | Christian |
Nationality | Australian |
Height | 190 CM |
Hobbies | wildlife conservation and a love for surfing |
Father | Craig Hemsworth |
Mother | Leonie Hemsworth |
Sibling | Liam Hemsworth, Luke Hemsworth |
Spouse | Elsa Pataky |
Children | 3 |
Educational Qualification | Graduate |
College (s) | Heathmont College |
Debut Movies | |
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Language | Movie Name |
English | Star Trek |
Awards List | ||||
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Year | Award | Category | Movie Name |