While its safe to say that almost every Avengers actor is now a bonafide a star, Chris Hemsworth isn’t just on the A-List, he’s practically dancing on top of it. But just because the Thor actor looks like a god, doesn’t mean he isn’t susceptible to the same human fears and anxieties like the rest of us. In fact, right before he was cast as the Asgardian superhero, things weren’t looking too hot for the Australian actor’s career.
Prior to joining the MCU, Hemsworth’s largest role stateside was that of Captain Kirk’s doomed father in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot. Though it wasn’t a large role – the entire scene nets no more than ten or so minutes of screen time – the character’s death weighs heavily on Kirk throughout the entire reboot trilogy. Yet, unless you’ve given it a recent rewatch, it’s entirely likely you didn’t realize he was even in it. In the movie’s Blu-ray commentary, the director even forgets Hemsworth’s name and suggests he was only cast due to his similar appearance to Chris Pine.
In a recent interview, Hemsworth reveals that after his short appearance in Star Trek, his career stalled and he felt like he was failing his dreams:
“I got a job pretty quick when I got to Hollywood, so I was very fortunate in that sense. Then I didn’t work for a while and I started to think it might not work out.
I had a huge amount of anxiety when I was auditioning, and that just got worse and worse the more I heard the word ‘no’. I did a lot of soul searching on a number of occasions, where I asked myself: ‘Why am I doing this? What’s my motivation to put myself through this?’”
The ebb and flow of an actor’s career is unfortunately very common, and as much as it probably weighed on Hemsworth, it’s still refreshing to hear a massive Hollywood star be so straightforward about his insecurities.
Fortunately it all worked out for the actor, as his take on Thor made him a household name. Originally cast as a hulking action star, Hemsworth has been dipping his toes more and more into the comedy genre as of late, showcasing his immense talent across the board. Even the now-cancelled Star Trek 4 was based entirely around his star power.
Just this week, it was announced that Taika Waititi is in the process of bringing a fourth Thor film to the big screen, making it the longest running standalone franchise in the MCU. For the most part, the series’ success lies squarely on Chris Hemsworth’s shoulders, and one hopes the days of his career anxieties are long behind him now.
