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Thor has been an integral part of Chris Hemsworth’s journey to confidence.
In an interview with The Guardian published Feb. 3, the 41-year-old actor opened up about the early days of his career, which were largely defined by one role: Thor, the God of Thunder. The superhero and Avenger is characterized by strength, charisma and confidence, which helped Hemsworth grow into those qualities himself, he said.
Before he first appeared as Thor onscreen at age 27, Hemsworth was grappling with severe performance anxiety and experiencing panic attacks. He also felt “far more uncomfortable and goofy” than he wanted to appear, so, Hemsworth admitted, he crafted a more confident version of himself for public appearances.
“The character you see in interviews and the presentation of myself over the last two decades working in Hollywood, it’s me — but it’s a creation too,” Hemsworth said. “It’s what I thought people wanted to see.”
What helped him truly build confidence was actually building muscle. Thor had the physique of a god, so Hemsworth spent a lot of time working out and training to play the part. Other physical changes he made included deepening his voice and adopting a posture that communicated his character’s authority.
Zade Rosenthal/Marvel Studios
All those physical changes pushed Hemsworth towards a new mindset: “I felt like, ‘Okay, cool, no one can f— with me,'” he said.
“Playing a god became a safety net,” the actor said. “It fooled people into thinking I was that confident, that certain.”
Hemsworth went on to star in eight Marvel films as Thor, most recently in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
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Marvel fans recently got a glimpse of Hemsworth’s Thor in a new teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, released on Dec. 30. In the latest glimpse of the film — which also features Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers — Thor returned to his familiar role as superhero and to his newer role of father.
In the teaser, Thor brings his concerns over fatherhood to his own father, the late god Odin, in prayer.
“Father, all my life, I have answered every call to honor, duty, to war. But now fate has given me something I never sought: a child, a life untouched by the storm,” he says.
“Lend me the strength of the All Fathers, so that I may fight once more,” the hero continues in prayer. “Defeat one more enemy. And return home to her. Not as a warrior, but as warmth. To teach her not battle, but stillness. The kind I never knew.”
Avengers: Doomsday debuts Dec. 18 in theaters.
