Chris Hemsworth, best known for portraying the Norse god Thor and a string of high-octane action heroes, has admitted he worried that sharing deeply personal health information might undermine the public’s belief in him as a larger-than-life superhero.

In a recent interview with The Guardian while promoting his new film Crime 101, Hemsworth said he had reservations about revealing that he carries a genetic predisposition linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. He feared the disclosure could alter how audiences perceive his film career.

“I wondered if I was letting people know too much about myself,” Hemsworth said. “Would they still believe in the action star or the Marvel superhero? And did I really want people to know this much about my fears and insecurities?”

The actor first went public with the information in 2022 on an episode of the documentary series Limitless on Disney+. He revealed that after consulting a doctor, he learned he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene—associated in studies with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. His grandfather was previously diagnosed with the disease.

In a follow-up documentary titled Road Trip to Remember, Hemsworth shared a more intimate family story: his father’s ongoing battle with Alzheimer’s and their journey together to revisit memories and strengthen their bond through travel, before illness could potentially erode those recollections.

Speaking to The Guardian, Hemsworth added that his father’s diagnosis has partly contributed to a slowdown in his career. “My drive to keep pushing forward has definitely been tempered,” he said. “You become more aware of how fragile everything is. You start thinking, ‘My dad won’t be here forever.’ And my kids are now 11 and 13—those nights when they’d fight over sleeping in our bed suddenly don’t happen anymore.”

His approach to choosing roles has also evolved. Hemsworth explained that he is now drawn to more personal, emotionally resonant projects, whereas earlier in his career he often made decisions based largely on financial considerations. Coming from a modest background, he said it once felt hard to turn down lucrative roles, even if they weren’t the most creatively fulfilling—especially when that income helped him support his parents and extended family.

However, Hemsworth has also expressed frustration with how his health disclosure was portrayed in the media. In interviews, including one with Vanity Fair in 2024, he criticized headlines that sensationalized his comments and suggested he was destined to develop Alzheimer’s. “That really upset me,” he said. “It felt like I’d shared something private, and suddenly it was being framed as if this were a death sentence—like I was already dealing with dementia, rethinking my life, or planning to retire.”

For Hemsworth, sharing his story in documentaries was meant to empower his father, preserve family memories, and raise awareness about the disease—not to spark alarmist narratives.

Professionally, the actor remains one of Hollywood’s most bankable action stars. Known for his imposing physique and willingness to perform many of his own stunts, Hemsworth continues to headline major projects. Crime 101 is set to hit theaters on February 13, released by Amazon MGM Studios, delivering a tense action story centered on a daring heist.

He is also slated to return to the big screen as Thor in Avengers: Doomsday, one of the most anticipated blockbusters of 2026, scheduled for release on December 18.