Chris Hemsworth on His Father’s Alzheimer’s: The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
Chris Hemsworth is confronting his own mortality after his father Craig’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. In a candid new interview, the Thor actor opens up about slowing down, recalibrating his career, and the upcoming film Crime 101.
Chris Hemsworth is easing off the gas. In a new interview, the Thor star says his dad Craig Hemsworth's Alzheimer’s diagnosis forced him to take a hard look at time, success, and what actually matters. It is personal, it is sobering, and yes, it is shaping what he does next, including his upcoming film, Crime 101.
Slowing down after his dad's diagnosis
Hemsworth told The Guardian that his father's illness changed his pace and priorities. He is not sprinting from one project to the next anymore; he is clocking the fragility of things, especially family.
"My appetite for racing forward has really been reined in."
He admits thoughts about mortality are hitting harder now. The reality that his dad will not be around forever is front of mind. At home, he is also noticing the quiet milestones: his kids are now 11 and 13, and those little-kid nights when they would compete to sleep in their parents' bed have faded away.
Rethinking what success looks like
Hemsworth says he used to chase external validation: nominations, record-breaking box office, launching another franchise. He now calls that mindset absurd. These days, he is trying not to hang his self-worth on trophies or numbers, even if he has to remind himself of that on a loop.
What he is choosing now
- Taking time to actually relax
- Saying yes to fewer, more curated projects
- Working with people he genuinely admires
He has opened up about this before
In the special 'Chris Hemsworth: A Roadtrip to Remember,' he shared an intimate look at his father's early stages of Alzheimer’s. He talked about how people often avoid the uncomfortable reality of the disease, defaulting to small talk about sports and weather while the tougher questions go unasked. The point was clear: families can end up suffering in silence if no one is willing to have the real conversation.
Career-wise, Hemsworth's next stop is 'Crime 101,' which he has been discussing alongside this broader reset in how he is approaching work and life.