Chris Hemsworth Facts: 23 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the Actor
Chris Hemsworth went from unknown to Hollywood leading man seemingly overnight.
Like many other Australian stars, the actor got his start on a soap opera "Home and Away." But 171 episodes later -- and after a stint on "Dancing With the Stars Australia" -- Hemsworth ended up stateside, waiting for his big break. It didn't take long. Two years after his U.S. debut, Hemsworth won the titular role in "Thor" (2011) and hasn't looked back since. This month, he takes aim in Michael Mann's thriller "Blackhat."
From his days in the Outback to his iconic U.S. debut, here are 23 things you probably don't know about Chris Hemsworth.
1. Chris Hemsworth was born August 11, 1983 in Melbourne, Australia to Leonie and Craig Hemsworth.
2. His mother is an English teacher, while his father is a social-services counselor.
3. Growing up, Hemsworth split his time in Melbourne and the Australian Outback in the Northern Territory, though he's acknowledge his clearest early memories were in the Outback.
4. He has two brothers, Luke (b. 1981) and Liam (b. 1990).
5. Liam is a Hollywood star of his own, breaking out opposite Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games" franchise.
6. The starring gig also helped Liam get ranked higher than Chris in Glamour magazine's "50 Sexiest Men" of 2013!
7. Don't worry, Chris was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive the following year. Take that, baby bro.
8. Before the world knew Chris Hemsworth, however, the actor made his acting debut in the fantasy series "Guinevere Jones" as King Arthur back in 2002.
9. A few years later, his big Australian break came after he was cast in the soap opera "Home and Away" (1987 - present).
10. At one point or another, Heath Ledger, Isla Fisher, Guy Pearce, Simon Baker, Jason Clarke, and numerous others starred on the soap.
11. Hemsworth appeared in a total of 171 episodes.
12. In 2006, after leaving the series, he used his popularity to appear on "Dancing With the Stars Australia."
13. A few years later, Hemsworth was stateside. His first U.S. role? George Kirk, James Kirk's father, in "Star Trek" (2009). Check him out here in the emotional opening scene.
14. Following the galactic hit, Hemsworth starred in Joss Whedon-produced horror film "The Cabin in the Woods" in 2010. The film, however, was not released until 2012.
15. Impressed with the Australian actor, Whedon pushed for Hemsworth to audition for "Thor" (2011).
16. Hemsworth won the iconic role of Thor, setting the stage for his big breakout.
17. Guess who else auditioned for the role? Tom Hiddleston (here's the audition). The British actor wasn't quite mighty enough for the role, but he proved perfect to play Loki.
18. Hemsworth was born on a Thursday, the day of the week named after Thor.
19. He also packed on 20 pounds of muscle for the godly role.
20. As for his personal life, Hemsworth has been married to Spanish actress Elsa Pataky since 2010.
21. They met through both of their American management company ROAR.
22. The couple have three children together: India Rose (b. 2012) and twins, Tristan and Sasha (b. 2014).
23. Bonus Fact: Hemsworth will be starring in a remake of the comedy classic "Vacation," which originally starred Chevy Chase.
