Thor Odinson, the superhero god, has conquered the hearts of millions all over the world not only because of his imposing looks, but also because of his humble sense of justice, and of course, his hilarious jokes and quotes. If there’s something Marvel Studios does perfectly, it's creating beloved characters and among the many courageous heroes the MCUhas given us, Thor is without a doubt one of the ultimate favorites. Of course, none of it would’ve been possible without the natural charm and great personality of the one and only Chris Hemsworth. So, if you want to know more about the man who became the God of Thunder, take a look at these facts you might not know.
1. Before Thor, he'd played another extraterrestrial character.
Before playing the famous extraterrestrial god, Hemsworth was part of another famous franchise, where he played George Kirk, James T. Kirk’s father in Star Trek(2009). Hemsworth had previously auditioned for the role of James Kirk, but it went to another Chris (Pine) mainly because director J.J. Abrahams thought Hemsworth was too tall for the part.
2. He stays close to his roots.
Though most of Hemsworth’s work takes place in LA, and he does have a place there, for the Australian actor, there’s no place like home, and for that reason, he spends as much as he can in his homeland with his family. One of the reasons isn’t only homesickness, but actually going back to his roots to keep his feet on the ground.
3. He’s passionate and disciplined about surfing.
Besides acting, there’s something our Thor has always been very passionate about and that is surfing. He even claims that since he was a young boy he and his brothers would wake up very early in the morning to hit the waves before school. That’s something he’s still quite passionate about and that he still does in his spare time.
4. He made the producers of Thor: Ragnarokfilm in his home country.
Of course, once you’re doing a third movie based on your massively successful character, you can have some voice in the decision-making process, and besides giving his opinion on where the character should go, he also was very vocal about his will to have some scenes shot in his beloved Australia. This was such an important matter for him that he actually asked some local indigenous groups to bless the production before filming.
5. Tom Hiddleston is now part of his family.
Loki and Thor have one of the most complicated hatred-based sibling relationships in the movies, but in real life, Hiddleston and Hemsworth have a very close, almost bromantic relationship. Their closeness is such that Chris has even said that Tom “has been adopted as an honorary Hemsworth.” A blessed family, without a doubt!
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6. He had already shared the screen with a young Tom Holland.
Well, it seems that Hiddleston isn’t the only one with Thor’s blessing, since young Tom Holland, aka the most charismatic Spider-Man so far, has also quite a good relationship with the godly-looking actor. Both shared the screen in In the Heart of the Sea(2015) where the young actor kept asking Hemsworth tons and tons of questions about the Marvel movies. Not only that, it’s said that when Holland was finally accepted into the group and they would go out to have some drinks, Hemsworth would be bringing his to avoid the 23-year-old actor to be asked constantly for his ID. So helpful of him!
7. Liam and Chris had a Loki-Thor-like relationship when they were kids.
Thor and Loki’s real-life relationship might not be as contemptuous as in the films but the Hemsworths had some issues when growing up. There’s a story Liam likes sharing about them getting in really intense fights in their childhood to the point that once he actually threw a knife that hit Chris on his head. Fortunately, it was the handle and not the blade that hurt him. Also, Liam had previously auditioned for the part of Thor and was close to getting the part when Chris showed up and took it away from him. Not very brotherly, though it seems they are in great terms today.
8. His aunt was married to the famous “Crocodile Dundee.”
We saw Chris Hemsworth last year in what promised to be an amazing remake of the famous Crocodile Dundee films, but ended up being a tourism ad for Australia. However, there’s a real connection between the classic Australian character and Hemsworth, and that is the marriage between the latter’s aunt with the famous adventurer.
9. His appearance in a reality show almost ruined his chance to become Thor.
Before being the A-list celebrity he is today, Hemsworth took basically all opportunities as possible to find his big break-through. As the popular star of an Australian soap-opera, Hemsworth was invited to participate in the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars, where he ended up in fifth place. According to Kevin Feige, CEO of Marvel Studios, it was for the best, since had he gotten further in the competition, they would’ve considered another actor because they didn’t really want the fans connecting the reality with the all-mighty Thor. A bit exaggerated, if you ask me.
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10. He loves giving back to the world.
Last but not least, if Thor has taught him anything, it's how to be a real-life hero, something he takes very seriously. Not only are he and Liam active spokespeople and collaborators of the Australian Childhood Foundation, but his passion for surfing has also made him quite conscious about the environment and its preservation. Besides that, when he decided to actually to make Australia his main home, he spent millions to make eco-friendly changes, not only at his house, but in the entire neighborhood hoping that others would follow and make of the town a conscious one.
As you can see, you need more than a pretty face and attractive body to portray a God, you also have to be fair and honorable to do so. Not leaving aside the great charisma and charm that has made many of us fall for the sweet, strong, fair, and sometimes clueless Thor.
