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Chris Hemsworth is reflecting on the inherent “fragility” of life.
“My appetite for racing forward has really been reined in,” the Australian star, 42, told The Guardian in a Feb. 3 profile with Bart Layton, writer-director of Crime 101.
The recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis for his father Craig has made him “more aware of the fragility of things,” said Chris. “You start thinking, ‘My dad won’t be here forever.’”
The Thor star’s three children, whom he shares with wife Elsa Pataky, are growing up, too, as he told the outlet.
“My kids are now 11 and 13. Those nights where they’d fight over sleeping in our bed — suddenly they’re not happening anymore,” the actor said.
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Chris’s “middle passage” in life has meant recalibrating his definition of success, he continued.
“I used to think maybe if I was nominated for something, I’d feel good about myself. Or maybe if I had the biggest film of all time, or launched another franchise, then I’d feel fulfilled,” Chris told The Guardian. “It’s absurd. My self-worth doesn’t rest upon all of those exterior things anymore – though I still have to remind myself.”
Pataky, 49, helps him stay focused on what matters, Chris added. “I’m getting better at relaxing, making more curated decisions, working with people I admire.”
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In his National Geographic documentary, Chris Hemsworth: A Roadtrip to Remember, the Crime 101 star offered an intimate glimpse of his father’s struggle with the early stages of Alzheimer’s and the reminiscence therapy they used to help him halt the progression of the disease.
“I wondered if I was letting people too far in,” Chris told The Guardian of the documentary, which was released in November 2025. “Are they no longer going to believe in the action star or the Marvel character? And do I want people to know my fears and insecurities to this level?”
However, A Roadtrip to Remember “was a love letter to my father,” he continued. “People like to pretend [Alzheimer’s is] not happening, because it’s so uncomfortable for them, so you suffer in silence. People talk to you about the footy, and the weather and stuff, and no one actually says, ‘How are you doing? Are you scared? Are you afraid?’”
“I was expecting a very different kind of human, who was more classically alpha,” Layton, 51, said to Chris about their first meeting. “And what you find is someone who’s really thoughtful and sensitive and insecure in the way we all are.”
Dean Rogers
Chris stars in Crime 101, co-written by Peter Straughan, alongside Halle Berry, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Corey Hawkins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Nick Nolte. The heist thriller is in theaters Feb. 13.
