Because of his marvelous performance as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Hemsworth has gained notoriety and achieved success in his career. It’s almost surprising to know that our favorite superhero was actually struggling to establish himself before getting chosen for the Avengers. The actor struggled to find work even after roles in films like Star Trek and A Perfect Getaway and he soon lost interest in Hollywood altogether.
But did you know, even after failing at thousands of auditions, when Hemsworth finally got a call back for his role as Thor, the actor actually ended up being skeptical about it? In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to think of anyone else that could have been the face of our favorite Marvel character. But why did Hemsworth think of refusing the offer at first?
Chris Hemsworth believed the “six-picture” deal was too long
In an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Thor actor Chris Hemsworth discussed how he was struggling before he finally got his breakthrough with a deal with one of the biggest movie franchises. Hemsworth explained,
“I had 12 months where every audition I was getting worse feedback, I was getting more and more nervous and uncertain, thinking: what am I doing? Do I even want this? Trying to convince myself I didn’t want it so it didn’t hurt so much. And then something changed. I just said ‘whatever’ and stopped thinking about it so much. Then I got busy again.”
The actor explained how his newfound attitude eventually led him to land the role of Thor but it was an offer he thought of refusing. He said,
“I was crossing the road in Vancouver … and I remember the exact moment getting a call from my lawyer and my manager saying ‘you got the offer,’” he said. “And then kind of going ‘oh wow, cool. So what is it?’ ‘It’s a superhero thing and it’s a six-picture deal.’ And we were like ‘that’s a lot of films to sign up for. We should pass on this.’”
It’s great to think that Hemsworth was able to push through his doubts because let’s not kid ourselves, there can be no one better who could have played Thor instead of him. And considering how rewarding the role has been for him, it’s safe to say he made the right decision.
Chris Hemsworth reveals he felt ridiculous working with the talented cast of Thor
For the role, Hemsworth was cast among a few seasoned actors with considerable experience. The parents of Thor would be played by Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Renee Russo. Natalie Portman, an Oscar winner, would be his co-star and love interest in the movie. Being partnered with the actors seemed almost strange to Hemsworth at the time. Explaining his emotions, he said,
“It was ridiculous. Going from kissing Natalie Portman to working with Anthony Hopkins – the whole experience was like, ‘What the f*** am I doing here? But in a good way. It literally seemed like last week I was still working on Home And Away,”
Thor was also being directed by acclaimed director and actor Kenneth Branagh who Hemsworth felt was responsible for Portman being in the project.
“I think the attraction for Natalie to a film like this was Kenneth Branagh’s involvement. At that time in my life, I wasn’t in a position to pick and choose who I wanted to work with. I just needed to pay the rent, and I was excited to be involved with something on this scale,”
It’s almost surreal to see how much Hemsworth has grown ever since his first Thor movie has come out. The actor will be seen on the big screens again this year with his upcoming action sequel Extraction 2 which is set to release this month on June 16.
Source: Cheat Sheet
