Chris Hemsworth: Young star is the master of Marvel movies

Brotherly love, both real and fictional, is at the heart of Chris Hemsworth’s performance as Thor. He explains the sibling synchronicity to film critic Tony Earnshaw.
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and below as James HuntNatalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and below as James Hunt
Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and below as James Hunt

In this era of the franchise seemingly every star of note can claim his or her own personal film series.

Youngest of the lot – and part of a growing ensemble – is Chris Hemsworth, the 30-year-old Australian 
who burst onto the scene 
as Thor and whose movies
are arguably the biggest and best of the Marvel spin-offs.

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Hemsworth has enjoyed the benefit of some great support, notably Thor director Kenneth Branagh and co-stars of the calibre of Anthony Hopkins (playing his father, Odin), Rene Russo (as mother Frigga) and Tom Hiddleston, another rapidly rising star, as evil brother Loki.

His emergence has been nothing short of stratospheric. His Hollywood debut was in 2009’s Star Trek, playing Captain Kirk’s father.

There followed Thor, The Cabin in the Woods and Avengers Assemble, then Snow White and the Huntsman, the ill-judged remake of Red Dawn and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Four short years. Several mega and high-profile projects. And Avengers Assemble, one of the highest grossing movies of all time. Not bad for a relative newcomer…

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Then there was the recent James Hunt/Niki Lauda biopic, Rush, which offered Hemsworth the chance to do some real acting against the backdrop of 1970s Formula 1 racing.

If there is a feeling that his fledgling career is being subsumed by comic book fare, Hemsworth doesn’t show it. Instead he talks of the close relationship he enjoys with Hiddleston – his brother on screen and his good friend off it.

“Certainly there’s a shorthand that we have,” says the 6ft 3ins Australian. “This is the third film we’ve shot together now. We spent a huge chunk of our shooting time getting to know one another.

“We kind of picked up where we left off and developed a great friendship along the way. From the beginning we were lucky. We had a chemistry, the same kind of enthusiasm.

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“It’s a relationship I always look forward to delving into every time.”

Hemsworth knows a thing or two about siblings. The middle brother between 
elder Luke and younger Liam, both fellow actors, Hemsworth is part of a family that may yet emerge as a viable dynasty to rival the Baldwin clan.

What are his thoughts on real life versus fantasy – of time-travelling gods and earth-bound mortals? Hemsworth laughs with 
gusto.

“Neither of them have attempted to take over the universe as yet, but I think I’d have the same reaction if they did! We’re competitive, as siblings are, at everything from sport, backyard cricket, football, surfing, to who’s controlling the remote control. In this industry, not so much. All three of us understand the frailty and the inconsistencies of the work. We help each other with auditions – always have – and whatever scripts we’re working on. We’re not in direct competition, anyway. It’s more of a team effort with this than anything else.”

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Addressing the relationship between the warring gods he adds: “There’s a scene where Thor and Loki are in the spaceship, exiting Asgard. Both Tom and I were pretty insistent on saying that it had to feel right.

“‘It’s got to feel like you’re in the back seat with two siblings.’ [My brothers and I] couldn’t get a hundred metres down the road before the three of us were [bickering, saying]‘Get off me! Don’t touch me. No, do this…’

“It certainly felt like that applied to that scene. You understand what it’s like to have that love/hate thing and do anything for them but that some of the simple things annoy you.

“I certainly tried to draw from the experiences I’ve been through and I can empathise with frustration towards one’s sibling.”

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Hemsworth is quick to acknowledge Loki’s appeal to audiences; everybody loves a good villain.

And he appears to have no hang-ups over the potential for Loki/Hiddleston to enjoy even greater popularity than himself as the mighty Thor. In fact, it was Hiddleston who stole Avengers Assemble from an ensemble that included Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner. Though one has to concede that the best line – “Puny gods!” – went to the Hulk at Loki’s expense…

“We’ve been talking about this all morning and I don’t know if it was ever planned 
to have Loki in this many films. It’s purely to do with everything that Tom brought to the table in the first one and how incredible he was: that mixture of strength and villainy and mystery and vulnerability. It’s such an access point; you can immediately empathise with this misunderstood guy.

“My hat goes off to Tom. He’s done such an incredible job in every film and hopefully we can keep sneaking him somewhere.”

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Drawing comparisons between Norse gods and real life might be pushing it, but Marvel’s superheroes and their mighty deeds have always been balanced with the travails of humans.

In Thor: The Dark World the deities’ macho posturing is lightened by humour and via the presence of Oscar winner Natalie Portman as scientist and love interest Jane Foster. Quips Hemsworth: “It was brilliant to have Natalie there.

“It broke up some of the testosterone. I remember Hopkins said something to me on the first Thor film. We walked in in our costumes – he had the eye patch and the whole thing – onto the huge set. He turned to me and said ‘No acting required here!’” he laughs. “He was right. Don’t compete with that. Make it simple. It already sells a lot of the work for you.”

Thor: The Dark World is on general release and out in cinemas now.

Making of a marvel star

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Chris Hemsworth was born in Melbourne in 1983. He was brought up there and in a small Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. His brothers Luke and Liam are also actors.

In 2004, he auditioned for the Australian soap opera Home and Away for the role of Robbie Hunter, 
but did not get the part. He was eventually given the part of Kim Hyde and appeared in 171 episodes of the series.He left the cast in 2007.

He has appeared a number of films since then including Star Trek, Cabin in the Woods, Rush and the original Thor movie.

He married Spanish actress Elsa Pataky in 2010, and they have a daughter together.