How Chris Hemsworth Changed His Life After Learning He Has a High Chance of Developing Alzheimer's Disease
While Chris Hemsworth's recent health revelation did play a part in his choice to take a break from acting, it isn't the complete reason behind his decision, the Thor star revealed.
"It all got a little sort of blown out of proportion," the 39-year-old admitted during an interview published Wednesday, June 14, regarding news he was going on an acting hiatus after a genetic test taken in November 2022 revealed he has a high chance of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.
"I wanted to take off because I've been working for 10 years, and I've got three kids that I want to spend more time with," Hemsworth explained of his and wife Elsa Pataky's daughter India, 11, as well as their twin sons, Sasha and Tristan, 9.
The award-winning actor had taken the genetic test as part of filming for the Disney+ docuseries Limitless With Chris Hemsworth. While shooting an episode about death, the results revealed he was eight to 10 times more likely than the average individual to develop the disease because he inherited copies of APOE4 (the apolipoprotein E gene) from his parents.
"Doing that show, each episode resonated in such a way that made me realize how life is just flying by, and I wanted to be still for long periods and more often," Hemsworth explained to the news publication of why he doesn't want to miss another moment of his little ones' lives.
"The information about the predisposition... allowed me to make all the changes... whether it be nutrition, my training, my mental fitness, which is the point of the series. The whole point for me was to give people access to tools, knowledge, and information on how to live a better, longer, healthier life," he added, noting the test simply pushed him to live more in the present and embrace fatherhood rather than have his career consume his life.
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Hemsworth assured fans he feels "healthier" than ever, however, he reiterated his plans to be more selective when it comes to accepting new acting roles in the future.
"I wanna be more curated about the choices I make, things I immerse myself in or I'm involved in. I want to have greater value and work with great people," the Extraction star concluded.
Entertainment Tonight spoke with Hemsworth about his break from acting while promoting his latest film Extraction 2, which is set to stream on Netflix on Friday, June 16.