Family keeps Chris Hemsworth grounded
CHRIS Hemsworth, whose Hollywood career is soaring due to his role as superhero Thor in the Marvel franchise, says simple things anchor him to earth.
LOS ANGELES—It was cold, overcast and muddy at the Longcross Studios, approximately 25 miles away from London. But Chris Hemsworth, having come from a shoot in Iceland, considered the weather mild.
“Iceland made London feel like Hawaii with the weather,” said the actor, buff and in costume as Thor. He talked to us during a break in filming “Thor: The Dark World,” on nearby sets that are jaw-droppingly huge. “I think it was minus five degrees at some point. They were some of the coldest temperatures I’ve ever felt.”
With a laugh, he added, “So coming back here is nice. It feels balmy. Yeah, split across the two locations and the wizards cut it all and make movie magic out of it.”
In director Alan Taylor’s “Thor: The Dark World,” the rivalry between the Asgardian brothers, Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), continues but they team up when Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) attacks Asgard. Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Stellan Skarsgard (Dr. Erik Selvig), Idris Elba (Heimdall) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Algrim/Kurse) also star in the action-adventure-fantasy film.
Sibling relationships
In real life, Chris and his brother Liam vied for the Thor role. Their brother Luke is also an actor. Asked what new insights he gained about sibling relationships as he shot this “Thor” sequel, Chris quipped, “Thankfully, neither one of my brothers has tried to take over the universe.”
Then he added, “But I could understand the frustration you feel with your siblings over things. I had to put myself in a situation where, if I felt betrayed by a family member or someone whom I loved, would I completely write them off and be able to move on or would I always be drawn back because they are family? There’s that genetic instinctual forgiveness which comes with family. But the betrayals that Loki have done to Thor were unforgivable.
“Thor is forced into a situation where he doesn’t want to forgive him. He just needs him as a tool. He’s a vessel in order to save the universe and along that journey, they are able to actually have some insight into their relationship.”
In a recent interview at London’s Dorchester Hotel, Chris, who played legendary English Formula 1 racing driver James Hunt in Ron Howard’s acclaimed “Rush,” told us what he enjoyed doing on the rare times that he got to hang out with his equally busy brothers. “Have a laugh and hang out,” he said. “I was in the Toronto Film Festival for ‘Rush.’ I had both brothers there, which was fantastic. My parents were there, too. We all just hung out. We went out for dinner and did the normal stuff – catch up and it was great. That was our thing at the moment. We meet in obscure locations around the world, do a quick catch up and then onto the next thing.”
Simple things
According to Chris, who has a daughter, India Rose, with his wife Elsa Pataky, these are what keep him grounded, especially as his career continues to skyrocket: “My family and the simple things, a bit more stillness, going and being with them. I can spend hours with my daughter. Time just flies. It’s just the simplest things to anchor me back to earth. I’ve been working so much in the past few years. I’ve been all over the place half the time. My daughter instantly forces me to pay attention. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Chris said that his wife and daughter went with him to Iceland for the shoot. “We didn’t have any time to do much—snowboarding, skiing or anything,” he said.
“I don’t mind cloudy, cold, stormy weather. I don’t know why. In Melbourne, where I grew up, we lived at the top of the hill. We had these big windows. I remember when there was a storm, I would sit by the window and watch the storm and the lightning. The house was shaking but I was warm and safe in my little space. There’s something kind of romantic about that. I always have an affection for cold, stormy weather, much to the disappointment and disapproval of my wife because she’s the opposite. She loves the warmer climate.”
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