Chris Hemsworth is opening up about why he chose to become an actor.
The 39-year-old, who has been a part of the entertainment industry for over two decades, rose to fame when he portrayed the role of King Arthur in the 2002 series Guinevere Jones. Despite having minor roles in films and television shows, Hemsworth wouldn’t become a household name until 2011, when he played the lead character in Marvel’s Thor. Since then, the star has appeared in over twenty projects, many of which fall under the ever-expanding MCU.
In a recent interview with GQ magazine, the father of three revealed that his passion for acting began when his older brother Luke Hemsworth enrolled in a film and television acting course. At the time, Hemsworth shared, when he started taking the course himself, he became obsessed with acting. The Snow White and The Huntsman star confessed that although he enjoyed acting, one of the reasons why he continued to pursue it as a career was because he wanted to help his parents become more financially stable. He said,
“He [Luke] did a film and television acting course once a week after school. I thought, That looks like fun! And as soon as I did it, it became an obsession. My parents didn’t have very much money. How can I get them out of this situation of financial burden and how can I not be in that situation?”
Another factor that contributed to Hemsworth’s decision was his refusal to imagine himself in a 9-to-5 job. And what’s more, indulging in his passion helped him tap into his “inner child.”
“Continually tapping into the inner child within myself that loved playing dress-up in the back yard with his brothers… I didn’t want to sit behind a desk and do the same thing every day, and punch in, punch out. I wanted to be on an adventure.”
Though he is still establishing himself outside the MCU, Hemsworth has tasted success over the years, with his movies grossing billions at the box office. But it is the failures that have taught him to pick projects that he feels are significant to him.
“Everything has more importance now. Because of the realization that this isn’t going to last forever. I don’t want to leave a pile of rubbish behind. And I’m aware that there’s a few misses there.”
Hemsworth will be next seen in Extraction 2, all set to premiere on Netflix this June 16.