WHY I’M LEAVING HOLLYWOOD

Startling health news inspires Chris Hemsworth to reevaluate his priorities

He’s one of Hollywood’s most physically fit stars. But while filming Limitless — a series about how to live better for longer — Chris Hemsworth got unwelcome news from a doctor: The actor has a genetic predisposition that makes him eight to 10 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

The unsettling information, along with other experiences during the Disney+ show, have prompted Chris to make a major change. After completing projects he’s already contracted to do, the 39-year-old is taking a step back from the spotlight. “I’m going to have a good chunk of time off,” says Chris, “and just simplify.”

LOVE & SACRIFICE

He’s seen the heartbreaking effects of Alzheimer’s firsthand. According to Chris, his grandfather — who’s been diagnosed with the disease — doesn’t remember “much anymore.”

Though it’s by no means definite the same fate awaits him, Chris says he is now inspired to “be with the kids” instead of working nonstop. He and wife Elsa Pataky, 46, moved daughter India, 10, and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, 8, to Australia in 2015 after feeling suffocated in LA. “Chris loves to take them surfing, horseback riding, to martial arts and sports practice — all the normal activities,” a source notes. “Their children are so young, and he wants to enjoy these years with them.”

Putting Family First Chris says facing his own mortality and risk of Alzheimer’s disease on Limitless “triggered something.” “The idea that I won’t be able to remember the life I experienced,” he says, “or my wife, my kids, is probably my biggest fear.”

Out on Top He’s appeared in 10 Marvel movies as Thor, including 2022’s Love and Thunder. The latest flick grossed more than $760M worldwide.