Chris Hemsworth retires from acting after discovering he is genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The “Thor” actor discovered the news while filming the fifth episode of his Disney+ series.”Unlimited,” in which he meets with a doctor and discovers that he has a genetic predisposition to the progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.
Hemsworth’s DNA contains two copies of the APOE4 gene, making his chance of developing the progressive neurological disorder eight to 10 times greater than the average person’s.
he said Vanity Fair in an article published Thursday that after hearing the news, he plans to take a break after finishing his press tour for the docu-series.
The 39-year-old’s grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and he opened up about it to Vanity Fair.
“I’m not sure if he actually remembers much anymore and slips into Dutch, which is his original language,” Hemsworth said. “Will talk [in] Dutch and English and then a mixture and maybe other new words’.
The Aussie actor revealed that filming the episode about such an important subject made him realize he “wasn’t ready to go at all”. The genetic revelation also had him encountering dead doulas for the series finale.
Although Hemsworth said, “I didn’t quit,” he admitted that the culmination of his experiences prompted him to take a break from acting.
“It triggered something in me to want to take a break,” Hemsworth said. “And since I finished the show, I finished the stuff I was already contracted for.”
The star has already wrapped production on his upcoming films: Netflix’s “Extraction 2” and George Miller’s “Furiosa” prequel “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
“Now when I finish this tour this week, I’m going to go home and have a lot of free time and simplify,” he added. “Stay with the kids, stay with my wife.”
Hemsworth and his wife, Elsa Pataky, 46, have three children: India, 10, and twins Sasha and Tristan, 8.
The father of three went on to say that Disney showed him a version of “Limitless” without a diagnosis, but he was adamant about keeping the full version.
“Look, if this is a reason for people to take better care of themselves and also understand that there are steps you can take, then great,” Hemsworth said.
She added: “My concern was that I didn’t want to manipulate it and dramatize it too much and turn it into some kind of empathy or something for entertainment.”
Hemsworth – who has dressed up in more than eight Marvel Cinematic Universe films as the hammer-wielding god of thunder – also said in the interview that he is “completely open to” seeing the titular character at some point.
“I’ve always loved the experience,” said the actor who plays Thor. “I was very grateful to be able to do something different each time.”
Episodes of “Limitless” are now streaming on Disney+.
