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Australian actor Chris Hemsworth is best known for his work as the God of Thunder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Playing one of the six original Avengers, he is also famous for his other projects, such as Extraction, 12 Strong, Star Trek, and the Disney+ series Limitless.
Limitless is perhaps Hemsworth's most defining project, as he takes on challenges to push past the human potential for living a good life with longevity. The star has dived into the ice and performed a scary crane walk. While the docuseries was about exploring how he could improve his life, he ended up exploring a terrifying truth about himself.
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Chris Hemsworth was filming the fifth episode of the docuseries when he found out that he has a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease. This has prompted the actor to take a break from acting.
Chris Hemsworth's genes make him predisposed to Alzheimer's disease
Chris Hemsworth spoke with Vanity Fair and opened up about his plans for the future upon receiving the news. While the actor has no indication of Alzheimer's, the presence of certain genes makes him more likely than the average person to develop the condition. Vanity Fair detailed the genetic markers that predispose him to the disease, stating:
“His makeup includes two copies of the gene APOE4, one from his mother, the other from his father, which studies have linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The actor also talked about his grandfather and how he currently has Alzheimer's disease. Hemsworth said that he is unsure about his grandfather's ability to remember much of anything:
"I’m not sure he actually remembers much anymore and he slips in and out of Dutch, which is his original language. He’ll be talking [in] Dutch and English and then a mash-up and then maybe some other new words as well."
Following the discovery of his condition, the Thor actor has also decided to take a break from acting. It's a temporary break, as he detailed during his interview. However, having encountered all the challenges on the show made Hemsworth more inclined to take some time off and be with his family.
Moreover, the star has already finished production for his upcoming projects, such as Netflix’s Extraction 2 and George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa. Chris Hemsworth is also fairly optimistic about the condition because while the gene predisposes him, Alzheimer's disease is not an absolute certainty. He shared:
"It’s not a pre-deterministic gene, but it is a strong indication. Ten years ago, I think it was more thought of as determinant. It really triggered something in me to want to take some time off. And since we finished the show, I’ve been completing the things I was already contracted to do. Now when I finish this tour this week, I’m going home and I’m going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify."
Chris Hemsworth also revealed that Disney initially wanted to remove the segment about his diagnosis from the show, but he did not let it get cut out. The actor thinks that his condition serves the purpose of increasing awareness about the fact that if someone has a genetic predisposition to something, they can still take steps to prevent it:
"Look, if this is a motivator for people to take better care of themselves and also understand that there are steps you can take—then fantastic. My concern was I just didn’t want to manipulate it and overdramatize it, and make it into some sort of hokey grab at empathy or whatever for entertainment."
Chris Hemsworth is also in talks for a Thor 5 project. However, the project will likely be his last in the MCU, as the Odinson has had a journey that lasted for more than a decade. Fans will most likely see a different rendition of Thor since Taika Waititi wants the film to be about a road trip instead of constant action and spectacle.
Limitless is now available to watch on Disney+.
