Age: 41
Birthplace: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Chris Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Kim Hyde in the Australian TV series Home and Away (2004) and as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). He has also appeared in the science fiction action film Star Trek (2009), the thriller adventure A Perfect Getaway (2009), the horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods (2012), the dark fantasy action film Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), the war film Red Dawn (2012) and the biographical sports drama film Rush (2013). Hemsworth's brothers, Luke and Liam, are also actors.
Also in 2015, Hemsworth starred in the action thriller film Blackhat, had a comedic role in the fifth installment of National Lampoon's Vacation series, Vacation, and headlined the biographical thriller film In the Heart of the Sea.
Hemsworth was born in Melbourne, to Leonie, an English teacher, and Craig Hemsworth, a social-services counsellor. He is the middle of three boys; his brothers Luke (older) and Liam (younger) are also actors. His maternal grandfather is a Dutch immigrant. He was raised both in Melbourne and in the Australian Outback in Bulman, Northern Territory. He has stated, "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." He attended high school at Heathmont College before his family again returned to the Northern Territory, and then moved a few years later to Phillip Island.
In 2002, Hemsworth starred in two episodes of fantasy television series, Guinevere Jones as King Arthur. He also made an appearance in soap opera series Neighbours and one episode of Marshall Law.
In 2004, Hemsworth auditioned for the Australian soap opera Home and Away role of Robbie Hunter (played by Jason Smith), but did not receive the part. He was subsequently recalled for the part of Kim Hyde and moved to Sydney to join the cast, appearing in 171 episodes of the series. He left the cast of Home and Away on 3 July 2007.
Hemsworth was a contestant on the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars Australia, partnered with professional dancer Abbey Ross. The season premiered on 26 September 2006, and after six weeks, Hemsworth was eliminated (7 November 2006).
In 2009, Hemsworth portrayed James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk, in the opening scenes of J. J. Abrams' film Star Trek. He played the character Kale in the thriller A Perfect Getaway the same year. He went on to play Sam in 2010's Ca$h, which was the first film he shot when he arrived in the United States. The film's director, Stephen Milburn Anderson, said Hemsworth had only been in the United States for six weeks when he had auditioned for the role, recalling, "Here's a guy who is young, has the right look, is a very good actor and, let's face it, he's beautiful. So I say, we need to get this guy in. I was very impressed". In November 2010, The Hollywood Reporter named Hemsworth as one of the young male actors who are "pushing - or being pushed" onto the Hollywood "A-List". Sony Pictures announced in 2011 that Hemsworth would star in the thriller Shadow Runner, which did not subsequently go into production as of 2014.
He is best known for his role as the Marvel Comics superhero Thor in the 2011 Marvel Studios film Thor. He and castmate Tom Hiddleston, who ultimately played Loki, had each auditioned for the role, for which Hemsworth said he put on 20 pounds of muscle. Hemsworth reprised the role in the 2012 film The Avengers as one of the six superheroes sent to defend Earth from his adopted brother, Loki.
He starred in the horror film The Cabin in the Woods, which was shot shortly after the release of Star Trek but went unreleased until 2012. It led Hemsworth to audition for the role of Thor at Joss Whedon's insistence. Also that year, Hemsworth starred opposite Kristen Stewart in the film Snow White and the Huntsman as the Huntsman. He also played Jed Eckert in the 2012 Red Dawn remake, a role he was cast in after MGM saw dailies footage of a scene from Cabin in the Woods. Hemsworth received the part of Thor two days after being hired for Red Dawn.
In 2013, Hemsworth starred in Ron Howard's sports drama film Rush, alongside Daniel Brühl as 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt, and reprised his role as Thor, in the sequel Thor: The Dark World. People magazine, in an annual feature, named him its 2014 "Sexiest Man Alive."
In 2015, Hemsworth starred in director Michael Mann's action thriller Blackhat, opposite Viola Davis, and reprised his role of Thor for the fourth time in the sequel to The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Hemsworth returned to the set of Home and Away in November 2014 to film a scene as an extra and not as his character Kim Hyde. He appeared in the episode broadcast on 19 May 2015. Also in 2015, he co-starred in the comedy film Vacation, along with Ed Helms, a revival of the film series that originally starred Chevy Chase. His last 2015 film was In the Heart of the Sea, based on the book of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, with Hemsworth playing first mate Owen Chase. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, he revealed that to prepare for the role of starving sailors, the cast was put on a diet of 500-600 calories a day to lose weight.
Hemsworth is also set to reprise his role as Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, scheduled for a 2017 release, and Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (2018), and 2 (2019).
An Australian rules football fan, Hemsworth was the star of the Australian Football League's 2014 Everything's Possible campaign. He donated fees for his involvement to the Australian Children Foundation. Hemsworth supports the Western Bulldogs.
Hemsworth began dating Spanish actress Elsa Pataky in early 2010 after meeting through their mutual representatives, and they wed in December 2010. They have three children: daughter India Rose (b. May 2012) and twin sons, Tristan and Sasha (b. March 2014). In 2015, he and his family moved from Los Angeles to Byron Bay in his native Australia, as he no longer needs to be in the United States in order to secure film work.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2009 | Star Trek | George Kirk | |
2009 | Perfect Getaway, AA Perfect Getaway | Kale | |
2010 | Ca$h | Sam Phelan | |
2010 | Ollie Klublershturf vs the Nazis | Chad | Short |
2011 | Thor | Thor | |
2012 | The Cabin in the Woods | Curt Vaughan | |
2012 | The Avengers | Thor | |
2012 | Snow White and the Huntsman | The Huntsman | |
2012 | Red Dawn | Jed Eckert | |
2013 | Star Trek Into Darkness | George Kirk | Voice only |
2013 | Rush | James Hunt | |
2013 | Thor: The Dark World | Thor | |
2015 | Blackhat | Nicholas Hathaway | |
2015 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | Thor | |
2015 | Vacation | Stone Crandall | |
2015 | In the Heart of the Sea | Owen Chase | |
2016 | The Huntsman: Winter's War | The Huntsman | |
2016 | Ghostbusters | Kevin | Post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Guinevere Jones | King Arthur | 2 episodes |
2002 | Neighbours | Jamie Kane | Episode 4,069 |
2002 | Marshall Law | The Kid | Episode: "Domestic Bliss" |
2003 | Saddle Club, TheThe Saddle Club | The New Vet | Episode: "Tenderfoot" |
2004 | Fergus McPhail | Craig | Episode: "In a Jam" |
2004-07 | Home and Away | Kim Hyde | 185 episodes |
2006 | Dancing with the Stars | Himself/Contestant | 5th place |
2015 | Saturday Night Live | Host | "Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band" "Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper" |
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Thor: God of Thunder | Thor |
Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Breakout Male | Thor | Nominated |
2012 | British Academy Film Awards | Rising Star Award | Thor | Nominated |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Superhero | Thor | Nominated | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best Hero | Thor | Nominated | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor - Sci-Fi/Fantasy | The Avengers | Nominated | |
Teen Choice Awards | Summer Movie Star: Male | The Avengers & Snow White and the Huntsman | Won | |
2013 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Superhero | The Avengers | Nominated |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite On-Screen Chemistry | Snow White and the Huntsman | Nominated | |
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Action Movie Star | The Avengers & Snow White and the Huntsman | Won | |
Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Buttkicker | The Avengers | Nominated | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight | The Avengers | Won | |
Teen Choice Awards | Actor Action | Red Dawn | Nominated | |
2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor - Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Thor: The Dark World | Nominated |
Charities
Chris Hemsworth supports the following charitable causes: ALS (amyrotrophic lateral sclerosis), Children, Environment.