Chris Hemsworth is mostly famous for playing the 1500-year-old God of Thunder, Thor.
But the actor himself is not an immortal god; something he’s really coming to terms with as he quickly approaches his 40th birthday.
“I don’t think I wanna turn 40,” Chris recently told British GQ.
Chris Hemsworth is hesistant to turn 40.
(Credit: (Image: Getty))“I still feel like I’m 25 and I’ve got heaps of time. Now I’m like, ‘Oh, I could be halfway. More than halfway…’ The reality of ‘I’m not going to be here forever’ is sinking in.”
Chris’ epiphany of impermanence was sparked by numerous recent experiences. Firstly, in November of last year, Chris found out he has a significantly heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The Avengers star has two copies of the gene ApoE4, inherited from both his parents, meaning he’s 10 times more likely to develop the disease than those without both copies of the gene.
Then, in January of this year, Chris’ Marvel Cinematic Universe co-star Jeremy Renner suffered multiple serious injuries after being crushed by a snowplough.
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“We were all on our Avengers text chain, we were all chatting. And it was wild. None of us really knew how serious it was,” Chris said of the accident.
“I think anything like that, it’s an immediate realisation of ‘Wow, any of us can go at any minute…'”
And lastly, Chris’ grandfather Martin passed away recently. But it wasn’t just the death of his dear old grandpa that affected Chris; it was also a comment made to him at the funeral.
“My uncle specifically said, ‘He’s remembered as a good bloke.’ And if he knew, or if someone told him that’s how he would be remembered, how incredibly proud he would feel.”
Chris has had an epiphany about life and ageing, thanks to numerous recent experiences.
(Credit: (Image: Getty))“It made me think about my own life,” Chris continued.
“And it wasn’t about career or anything. It was about being remembered as someone who was good and kind and contributed something of value… I certainly don’t think about the films I’m going to leave behind and how people are going to remember me in that sense.”
“I hope that people think of me fondly and that I was a good person. That I was a good bloke. Like my grandpa,” Chris – who turns 40 on August 11 – thoughtfully said.
