‘Westworld’ Star Luke Hemsworth Reacts to Unexpected Series Cancelation

Luke Hemsworth is speaking out following that devastating Westworld cancellation news. Just a week after it was confirmed that HBO would not be moving forward with Westworld Season 5, effectively canceling the popular series after just four seasons, the actor joined fans in expressing his shock, admitting that the cancellation “was disappointing.”

Hemsworth starred on the hit sci-fi drama as Ashley Stubbs, the Head of the Westworld QA Security Force, since the show’s premiere in 2016. He, along with his castmates,was set to reprise the character in Season 5, which had reportedly already been mapped out. However, HBO had other plans, with reports surfacing on Nov. 4 that Westworld Season 5 would not see the light of day. The actor got the news on his 42nd birthday, telling Entertainment Tonight that when he learned of Westworld‘s cancellation, “I was like, ‘F-! Dammit!’” While Hemsworth said, “you hope these things go forever,” he noted that “everyone’s got their own reasons.”

“I’m very thankful for my part in that series and that journey was a big part of my life, but yeah it was disappointing,” he continued. “I think the idea right from the start was to go full circle and come back to be about loops, to be about human beings and robots being stuck in that trajectory. Unfortunately, we get cut off, but it’s the nature of the world. You can’t get depressed about it. You move on and it opens up new doors.”

While Hemsworth may be willing to move on now that the doors on Westworld are closed, fans certainly aren’t as willing. Shortly after news of Westworld‘s cancellation broke, fans of the series rallied together for a cause: save Westworld. A Change.org petition was quickly launched calling on HBO to renew Westworld “for a fifth and final season.” Noting that “the series was intended to have five seasons,” the petition’s creator urged HBO to “let it close its loop.” The petition has received more than 10,000 signatures.

Debuting in 2016 and based on the 1973 film of the same name, Westworld was set at Westworld, a fictional Wild-West-themed amusement park that includes android “hosts,” with the series expanding into the real world where people’s lives are controlled by an artificial intelligence named Rehoboam. Along with Hemsworth, the series also starred Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, and James Marsden. According to Variety, HBO opted not to move forward with a fifth season due to the show’s massive price tag and a dwindling viewership.