HEMSWORTH. “I fall in love every day.”
LOS ANGELES—He plays Gale Hawthorne in “The Hunger Games” movies. He was considered for the Thor role that eventually went to his brother. But, Liam Hemsworth, who has another brother, Luke, in the acting business, said that there’s no rivalry between him and his siblings.
“When we were kids, like all young brothers, we wrestled and argued a lot,” said the youngest of the Hemsworth brothers. “We didn’t agree on much.”
How naughty was Liam as a kid? “My uncle used to call me ‘Triple Six.’ Yeah, like the devil’s number, because I was a naughty kid. I think they did an exorcism on me at one point. It didn’t work, though.” —It was hard to tell if Liam was joking on that exorcism bit.
Most rebellious
“I threw a knife at my brother’s head once,” he volunteered. “I was young, but I used to chase him (Chris) with brooms. I used weapons to fight—large rocks, Ninja stars that my grandpa gave me—they were real, they could do some damage. Back then, I was maybe the most rebellious. Not anymore. I’ve calmed down.”
And he considers Chris and Luke his best friends these days. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them, for what they’ve taught me over the years and how much they’ve inspired me,” Liam said. “Our relationship these days is great. We don’t get to see each other a lot. Sometimes, a year might go by. The hardest part about being in the life I’m in now is, I’m traveling so much. I don’t get to live it with my family as much as I’d like to.”
Liam, who’s engaged to singer-actress Miley Cyrus, added, “My brothers and I are so lucky to be in the places we’re in. I’m as happy for Chris as I am for myself. Chris is working with amazing people. It’s amazing that he tells me he’s doing a film (‘In the Heart of the Sea’) with Ron Howard.
“Five years ago, we would joke about things like that. Now, it’s actually happening. So, there’s no rivalry. We’re more than happy for each other.”
Three brothers
The 23-year-old actor said that when the three brothers do see each other, they’ll “have a good wrestle—that’s about as far as our competition goes.”
Liam volunteered that he and Chris even co-own a house in Phillip Island in Australia. “We bought it last year. It’s a small beach house on the island where I grew up. My mom and dad are in the process of making renovations. It’s a place that we can go back to when we’re in Australia.”
Hollywood is a long way from Liam’s growing up years in Phillip Island, where his jobs included laying floors with Luke, his oldest brother. Liam said that, had an acting career not beckoned, he might be in the landscaping business now. Liam rattled off other jobs he held: “I was a park ranger at the Penguin Parade. I also worked at a bakery and a bowling alley. Where I’m from is a small island, and there’s only a selection of jobs a 16- or 17-year-old can do. I think I did about 99 percent of them! I’m so glad that I did all those different jobs, because it reminds me of how lucky I am.”
In “Paranoia,” a thriller directed by his fellow Aussie, Robert Luketic, Liam stars with Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford and Amber Heard. He was especially struck by Gary’s work ethic.
Intensity
“I’d met Gary Oldman a couple of times before we started shooting,” he said. “On the first day that he was shooting, Gary came in, and we did a rehearsal. I’ve never seen someone come in with so much intensity to a rehearsal at 9 in the morning. It was such a slap in the face and a wake-up call. You work with different actors who either feel their way through a rehearsal and find their beat or you have people like Gary. It was scary as hell at first. But, it motivates you to bring it on, because he’s so well-prepared.”
He added, “I grew up watching actors like Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Leonardo DiCaprio. They inspired me. To be doing it at this level now is huge for me. I feel so happy and blessed to be where I am.”
Asked if he is as bold as his character, Adam Cassidy, who walks up to Amber’s Emma Jennings in a club scene in “Paranoia,” Liam replied, “Am I that direct? God, no! I wouldn’t do that unless I’ve had 10 beers. Then, maybe I would have the confidence to do it!”
Sex scenes also intimidate him. “Shooting something intimate is probably the scariest. But, these days, I just try to live in the moment.”
Liam, who met Miley on the set of their movie, “The Last Song,” said, “A lot of times, love at first sight can be very superficial. You fall in love with someone because he or she is beautiful. I think a small percentage of the time, it does blossom into something that’s real.” With a laugh, he quipped, “I fall in love every day, though.”
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