5 lesser-known facts about Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor best known for playing Thor, one of the original six Avengers in the MCU. Hemsworth was born on August 11, 1983 in Melbourne to Leonie, an English teacher, and Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counselor. Luke and Liam Hemsworth, his two famous siblings, are also actors.

Hemsworth started his career by appearing on Australian TV shows between 2002 and 2004. He was a regular cast member on the popular show Home and Away, playing Kim Hyde in 171 episodes. In 2007, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood.

After less than a year of dating, the actor married Spanish model and actress Elsa Pataky in December 2010, just as his career in Hollywood was starting out. The duo had big releases the following year with Thor and Fast Five.

Ever since Thor’s release in 2011, he’s become a household name and is now among the world's highest-paid actors. Hemsworth has starred in other larger-than-life movies like Snow White and the Huntsman, Men in Black: International, Extraction, Ghostbusters and many more.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor (Image via IMDb)

Check out these interesting facts about the Australian actor.

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5 facts you might not know about Chris Hemsworth

1) His first Hollywood gig was a role in Star Trek film

Star Trek 2009 poster / A still of Chris Hemsworth in the film (Images via IMDb)

In 2009, J.J. Abrams rebooted the Star Trek franchise by bringing back classic characters with a brand new cast, including Chris Hemsworth in a small role as Captain Kirk’s Father. In a video for Vanity Fair’s YouTube channel, Hemsworth spoke about how the role landed him his big break as Thor. The actor revealed:

“I shot Star Trek and then I had about eight or nine months where I couldn’t get a job. Then the film came out and it gave me some momentum and I had auditioned for Thor a few times, didn’t get a callback. I then had the opportunity to have another callback. Star Trek had come out, Kenneth Branagh had seen it. I do think it helped in many, many ways. I think J.J. Abrams and Kenneth had a conversation.”

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2) He was in a competitive dance reality show

In 2006, after establishing himself as a popular soap-opera actor, Hemsworth joined season 6 of Australia's Dancing with the Stars. He was eliminated after six weeks. Shortly after, he moved away to Hollywood. Speaking on the reality show, Hemsworth said in an interview:

"It made me more nimble on my feet, I guess. I needed to be with the cape. You might see a bit of that Dancing With The Stars quality in Thor.”

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3) He studied American Dialect at Film School in Australia

Hemsworth studied American Dialect at the Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors in Sydney, Australia to prep for auditions in Hollywood. Although the actor doesn't play many characters with American accents, he did play a villainous role in Netflix's sci-fi thriller Spiderhead earlier this year.

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4) Chris Hemsworth, The Sexiest Man Alive

Chris Hemsworth for People's Magazine (Images via people.com)

In 2014, Chris Hemsworth was picked as The Sexiest Man Alive by People's Magazine. By then, the actor had become well known for playing Thor in multiple movies in the MCU. With fan-favourite Thor: The Dark World releasing in 2013, he was a natural pick for the title.

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5) He has his own fitness app

Hemsworth is known for his incredible physique and has often spoken about his rigorous fitness routines. In 2019, he launched a fitness app called Centr that helps users train, eat, and live better. The app's description reads:

Designed by Chris and his personal trainer Luke Zocchi – and inspired by the training that has seen Chris achieve the biggest and best shape of his life – Centr Power is the ONLY muscle-building program you need.

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