Chris Hemsworth AM is an Australian actor who gained fame portraying Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away from 2004 to 2007.
He transitioned to a successful film career in Hollywood, most notably starring as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with the 2011 film Thor.
Early life and Education
Christopher Hemsworth was born on August 11, 1983, in Melbourne to Leonie (née van Os), an English teacher, and Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counselor. He is the second of three sons, with older brother Luke (b. 1980) and younger brother Liam (b. 1990), both of whom are also actors. Hemsworth’s maternal grandfather was a Dutch immigrant, and his maternal grandmother was of Irish descent; his paternal ancestry includes English, Scottish, and German roots. He grew up in both Melbourne and the Outback in Bulman, Northern Territory. Reflecting on his upbringing, he has mentioned, “My earliest memories were on the cattle stations up in the Outback, and then we moved back to Melbourne and then back out there and then back again. Certainly, most of my childhood was in Melbourne but probably my most vivid memories were up there [in Bulman] with crocodiles and buffalo. Very different walks of life.” Hemsworth attended high school at Heathmont College before his family returned to the Northern Territory and later relocated to Phillip Island.
Career
Hemsworth began his career by appearing in several television series. In 2002, he starred in two episodes of the fantasy series *Guinevere Jones* as King Arthur and made appearances in the soap opera *Neighbours* and an episode of *Marshall Law*. The following year, he appeared in an episode of *The Saddle Club*. In 2004, Hemsworth auditioned for the role of Robbie Hunter in the Australian soap opera *Home and Away*. Although he didn’t get the part, he was recalled for the role of Kim Hyde, moving to Sydney to join the cast and appearing in 171 episodes until his departure on July 3, 2007. Hemsworth later noted that while *Home and Away* increased his visibility, it did not earn him respect in the film industry.
In 2006, Hemsworth competed on the fifth season of *Dancing with the Stars Australia*, partnered with professional dancer Abbey Ross. The season premiered on September 26, 2006, and Hemsworth was eliminated after six weeks, on November 7. His participation in the show almost cost him the role of Thor, as producers feared fans might be deterred by his dancing stint.
In 2009, Hemsworth played George Kirk, James T. Kirk’s father, in the opening scenes of J.J. Abrams’ *Star Trek*. The role was initially offered to Matt Damon, who declined; Abrams appreciated Hemsworth’s take on the role. Josh Tyler of CinemaBlend praised Hemsworth’s performance, describing his scene as the “best five minutes” he’d spent in a movie theater that year. The film was a box office success, grossing $385.7 million. That same year, Hemsworth appeared as Kale Garrity in the thriller *A Perfect Getaway*. Although the film received mixed reviews, Hemsworth’s performance was praised for being “appropriately intimidating.”
In 2010, Hemsworth starred in *Ca$h* alongside Sean Bean, his first film shot in the United States. Director Stephen Milburn Anderson was impressed by Hemsworth, who had only been in the U.S. for six weeks when he auditioned. In November 2010, The Hollywood Reporter named Hemsworth as one of the young male actors being pushed onto the Hollywood “A-List.”
In 2013, Hemsworth starred as James Hunt in Ron Howard’s sports drama *Rush*. Henry Barnes of The Guardian praised Hemsworth’s performance for delivering the “superb script” with mastery. Later that year, he reprised the role of Thor in *Thor: The Dark World*. Despite being a commercial success with a gross of $644.6 million, it was the lowest-rated film in the MCU franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the chemistry between Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston.
In 2015, Hemsworth starred in Michael Mann’s action thriller *Blackhat*, opposite Viola Davis. The film bombed at the box office and was poorly received, with critics questioning Hemsworth’s casting as a hacker. Hemsworth admitted to being displeased with his performance, feeling it was an attempt to meet audience expectations. He reprised his role as Thor in *Avengers: Age of Ultron*, which grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide and earned him the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Action Movie Actor.
That same year, Hemsworth co-starred in the comedy *Vacation* and was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss with Leslie Mann. He also starred in *In the Heart of the Sea*, playing first mate Owen Chase. To prepare for the role, Hemsworth and the cast followed a strict diet. The film received mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment but earned Hemsworth a Teen Choice Award nomination.
In 2016, Hemsworth reprised his role as Eric the Huntsman in *The Huntsman: Winter’s War*, alongside Jessica Chastain. The film underperformed compared to its predecessor. Hemsworth also starred in the *Ghostbusters* reboot, where he was praised for his performance despite the film’s overall disappointment. He won the Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor.
Hemsworth continued to reprise his role as Thor in *Thor: Ragnarok* (2017) and the final two Avengers films, *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Avengers: Endgame*. All three films were critically and commercially successful. Hemsworth was praised for his comedic performance in *Thor: Ragnarok* and his endearing portrayal in *Avengers: Endgame*.
Hemsworth was set to reprise his role as George Kirk in the fourth film of the rebooted *Star Trek* series but left the project due to unsatisfactory contract negotiations. In 2019, he starred in *Men in Black: International*, which received unfavorable reviews but was noted for his chemistry with co-star Tessa Thompson. In 2020, he starred in the Netflix action thriller *Extraction*, which broke viewership records.
Hemsworth reprised his role as Thor in *Thor: Love and Thunder*, released in 2022. He also worked on the documentary series *Limitless With Chris Hemsworth* in 2022, which explored various ways humans seek to improve their health. The series sparked some controversy for filming at a sacred Indigenous Australian site.
In 2023, Hemsworth returned as Tyler Rake in *Extraction 2*, earning $20 million for the role. He is set to star in the *Mad Max: Fury Road* spin-off *Furiosa* and will voice a younger Optimus Prime in the upcoming *Transformers* prequel, *Transformers One*.
Personal life
Hemsworth began dating Spanish model and actress Elsa Pataky in early 2010 after they met through mutual representatives. They married in December 2010 and have three children: a daughter born in May 2012 and twin sons born in March 2014. In 2015, the family relocated from Los Angeles to Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia.
Hemsworth’s children practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Thalison Soares and regularly compete in national tournaments. In 2021, Hemsworth was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
In his 2022 National Geographic documentary Limitless, Hemsworth revealed that his maternal grandfather has Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, Hemsworth has inherited two copies of the APOE4 gene, one from each parent, significantly increasing his risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 130 million