Ever since he got his big break in Hollywood by playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Hemsworth has become one of the most popular actors of all time.
His role as the God of Thunder led him to become one of the world’s highest-paid actors.
Moreover, he’s appeared in popular movies such as Star Trek (2009), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Men in Black: International (2019), Extraction (2020), and more recently, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).
There’s no doubt that Chris Hemsworth is in incredible shape. In order to prepare for most of his roles, the actor follows a strict diet and workout regime.
However, this doesn’t mean that the Avengers star is protected from getting sick. In fact, Hemsworth shocked fans and the media when he revealed that he has an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about how this diagnosis changed his life and whether it’ll affect his work moving forward.
Chris Hemsworth Is Taking Advantage Of Time Following His Alzheimer’s Risk
In 2022, the actor worked on Limitless With Chris Hemsworth, a six-part documentary series, for National Geographic, where he explored different methods and workouts people have tried to improve and enhance their health. The actor underwent genetic testing for the documentary and learned that he has a greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s in the future.
In episode five of Limitless, the actor discovered that he has two copies of the gene APOE4, which is linked to an increased risk of this disease. Because of this, Hemsworth is eight to ten times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s in the future.
“Yeah, it’s like one in a thousand people…or one in 10,000. I can’t remember. But eight to 10 times more likely,” he explained in an interview with Vanity Fair. He jokingly added, “Since you told me that, I feel like my memory’s getting worse. It’s a placebo effect—or it’s taking place!”
Chris Hemsworth was recently honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Despite his good humor, the actor admitted that getting this diagnosis was a big shock.
“Yeah, there was an intensity to navigating it. Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death in the hope that we’ll somehow avoid it. We all have this belief that we’ll figure it out. Then to all of a sudden be told some big indicators are actually pointing to this as the route which is going to happen, the reality of it sinks in. Your own mortality,” he revealed.
However, after reflecting on the diagnosis, the actor has come to peace with it.
“Like everything in the show I went, ‘Okay, great. I now have to work on this more,’” he admitted. “If you look at Alzheimer’s prevention, the benefit of preventative steps is that it affects the rest of your life. When you have preposition to cardiovascular heart disease, cancer, anything—it’s all about sleep management, stress management, nutrition, movement, fitness. It’s all kind of the same tools that need to be applied in a consistent way.”
Chris Hemsworth Made Many Lifestyle Changes Following His Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
Learning that he has a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s in the future was a huge shock for Chris Hemsworth. However, the actor hasn’t let this diagnosis get to him in a negative way. Instead, he’s taken the news with an optimistic point of view.
“It was a good kick in the arse and a reminder to do whatever is in my power to give myself the best fighting chance,” Hemsworth told Men’s Health. “Whatever work I’m doing for my brain health benefits the rest of my body—we turned it into a positive.”
Ultimately, this had a huge impact on his lifestyle. I’ve always been pretty consistent with my exercise commitments”, he explained, “but lately I’ve really felt the importance of taking time for yourself without any outside voice or stimulation and making time for stillness.” One of the biggest changes he’s made is working out less, and at a less intense pace than before. “I’m lifting less frequently than I was and I’m incorporating more cardio and endurance workouts which I much prefer than heavy body-building style sessions.”
He’s also started working more on his mental health.
- “Now, I’m incorporating more solitude into my life,” he admitted. “I do a lot of meditation and breath work mostly during sauna and ice bath routines,” he continued. “For me, my favorite mindfulness work comes from the immersion in physical actives that allow me to be fully present and force me out of my head and into my body, in particular surfing.”
The diagnosis has also affected his work. “It made me think about my kids and how they’re growing up and things are changing so dramatically, and I want to sit, I want to soak it in,” he revealed. “I don’t want to be in a sprint anymore. I want to be right here and appreciate everything that’s in front of me.”
Chris Hemsworth Announced He Has No Plans To Retire, Despite Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
When Chris Hemsworth revealed he’s at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s, most people assumed that he’d stop acting altogether to focus on his health. However, the actor has revealed that he has no plans to retire in the foreseeable future.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Hemsworth revealed he was pissed off at hearing the media say he wouldn’t act again.
“It really kind of pissed me off because it felt like I had been vulnerable with something personal and shared this,” he admitted. “No matter how much I said, ‘This is not a death sentence,’ the story became that I have dementia and I’m reconsidering life and retiring and so on.”
While he took a brief hiatus after receiving this diagnosis, the actor has no plans to retire from acting altogether. In fact, he recently joined Anya Taylor-Joy in the latest installment of the Mad Max film franchise, Furiosa. Moreover, the actor has already some other projects lined up for the upcoming years.