“When I stop and think, ‘Hang on, my job is essentially going to the gym’, I realise it’s actually it’s not so bad!”
It’s not enough that Chris Hemsworth is one of Hollywood’s handsomest leading men – he also has to have the best body this side of the Equator.
Appearing at the Supanova Comic Expo in Sydney, Australia, and later at the annual ComicCon convention in San Diego, California, the blonde, brawny Aussie delighted adoring crowds with his cheery demeanour while talking about his new film, Thor: Ragnarok, directed by New Zealand helmer Taika Waititi. This time out, Thor has seen his blonde locks chopped off and been stripped of his mighty hammer while imprisoned on the other side of the universe. This pits him in a race against time to return to Asgard and stop the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett, in her Marvel debut), the goddess of Evil, from bringing about Ragnarok – the destruction of his planet and the Asgardian civilization. Along the way, he must engage in a terrific gladiatorial combat against former Avenger’s ally, the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
“A lot of us thought that we needed to push things in a new direction,” Hemsworth says. “So I called up Taika and told him we have got to do something to make the new film look different. The first idea I pitched was where we shaved the locks off. So we cut Thor’s hair and made him look more gladiatorial.”
Meanwhile, Hemsworth embarked on yet another six month-long extreme training programme with the help of his personal fitness coach, Luke Zocchi, whom Chris describes as “the world’s best trainer.”
Zocchi and the 6’3” Hemsworth have developed an awe-inspiring regimen that combines cardio, strength, and resistance exercises to help Chris achieve his superhero-like physique. According to Hemsworth, it’s all a matter of putting in the time and having the discipline to stick to it. “I try to mix things up as much as I can. I do a lot of boxing, surfing and lots of protein and weights.”
Hemsworth and his Spanish wife Elsa Pataky live in Sydney, Australia with their three children, India Rose, 5, and twins Sasha and Tristan, 2.
What kind of strategy did you have to shake things up when it came to Thor’s universe?
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: We wanted to give the character and the film as a whole, a more unique feel, going in new directions now. I think we did as much as we could with the way Thor’s character had evolved in the previous films so we tried to improvise a lot more this time around, letting the character go in new directions. The entire tone of the film changed then, it was more organic and remarkably so, the characters took a different course. So far the response has been incredible.
How do you reflect back on your time thus far as Thor and where do you want the character to go in future installments?
CH: So we knew we had to change his world from the one directly inspired by the comics. What resulted was a very different character in Thor: Ragnarok.
“I’ve played this character five times, and by the last time I was bored, with myself as Thor. We had already agreed that if we were going to make a third Thor we had to experiment and take it to the next level.”
There’s also a big combat fight sequence between you and Mark Ruffalo reappearing as The Hulk?
CH: Thor gets his ass kicked in this film, mainly by Mark Ruffalo’s character, The Hulk.
You and Mark seem to get along famously. Was it like that on the set of Thor: Ragnarok?
CH: Mark and I always have fun together. In this film, our characters are set against each other. The Hulk will be portrayed in a very different set of events that makes for his situation. He is celebrated as a champion in this film and has a lot more heroic qualities. This character development sets the stage for Thor and Hulk’s fight.
What was it like working with director Taika Waititi? How does an Aussie like you get along with a New Zealander like Waititi?
CH: (Laughs) It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on any set. Taika brings an incredible vision to his work and that was exactly what we needed on this movie to give it a different look and feel from previous Thor films. I think he’s done an amazing job.
Part of the mystique surrounding Thor is his powerful physique. We saw you get emaciated a few years ago when you played a starving seaman in Ron Howard’s In the Heart of the Sea? How do you go from that look to bulking up again for Thor: Ragnarok?
CH: It’s obviously a lot more fun being able to eat a lot, gaining mass through a rigorous gym routine instead of living on 500 calories a day, which is what the starving seaman’s character required. I had to lose a lot of weight for The Heart of the Sea, by living on salads and soup every day while I was craving food most times. More than anything else, it was a very tough experience mentally.
When you’re working out for several months to get read for a film like Thor, does it ever get monotonous?
CH: I get tired of the same routines every day, so I experiment with both my diet and workouts. Also, those are the times when I stop and think, “Hang on, my job is essentially going to the gym”, and then I realise actually it’s not so bad!
How do you and your wife Elsa Pataky manage both of your busy schedules with three children?
CH:
“Elsa doesn’t give me any special treatment when it comes to household chores. I’m expected to pitch in, watch the kids and do the dishes. I actually enjoy that, especially the part about looking after the kids.”
(Laughs)
Does your wife still speak Spanish in the house?
CH: Everyone’s fluent in Spanish in the house except for me! (Laughs) She speaks Spanish to our kids and they love speaking the language. I’ve always been meaning to learn but I’ve never managed to do it. I’m happy, though, that they will grow up and be able to speak both English and Spanish.
Has moving back to Australia been an important step for your family?
CH: I think there’s something very unique and beautiful about Australia. I wanted to get to know that again and Elsa has been very supportive of our move.
I grew up in a tight knit household and I want our children to be raised experiencing the same kind of closeness that my brothers and I grew up in. My father surfed, played ball with us and our mother was always there, keeping a check on the boys. My parents, however, encouraged us to do what we wanted without ever trying to control us.
Does Elsa ever try to speak to you in Spanish?
CH: No, she speaks to me in English, unless she loses her temper!
INTERVIEW: JANE TAYLOR/FAMOUS
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY
