Chris Hemsworth Clarifies His Comments About Stepping Back From Acting Amid Health Concerns

Chris Hemsworth is clarifying comments he made about stepping back from acting after learning he was predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease. The Extraction 2 star revealed that his initial comments got “sort of blown out of proportion” while promoting the Netflix sequel.

Hemsworth initially told Vanity Fair in November that he would be taking time off from acting after his unscripted Disney+ series Limitless aired an episode in which he received the results of a genetic test that revealed he had a higher risk than the general population of developing Alzheimer’s disease. After getting the news on his show, Hemsworth said “The idea that I won’t be able to remember the life I’ve experienced, or my wife, my kids, is probably my biggest fear.”

The Thor actor is now clarifying that his career break didn’t have as much to do with his genetic testing results as it did his family. “It all got a little sort of blown out of proportion,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “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.”

“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,” he continued. “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, information on how to live a better, longer, healthier life.”

After turning 40 in August, Hemsworth said he’s been trying to make better choices for his mental and physical health, especially now that he’s reached a comfortable point in his career, leaving him feeling “healthier than I’ve ever felt.” He continued of the step back from the spotlight, “I’ve been running from project to project for long time, just to avoid being unemployed or that fear that it’s the last job you’ll get, you know? 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.”