Thor star Chris Hemsworth is planning to take a break from the acting world, after discovering that he is genetically pre-disposed to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The news was revealed to Hemsworth during an episode of Limitless, the National Geographic docuseries that he stars in on Disney+. As Hemsworth learned, his genes contain two copies of the APOE4 gene, one from each of his parents, a combination that reportedly leads to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. According to Hemsworth, he will be taking a short break to spend time with his family, after the series made him reevaluate his own mortality.
“It’s not a pre-deterministic gene, but it is a strong indication,” Hemsworth revealed in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. “Ten years ago, I think it was more thought of as determinant.”
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“It’s not like I’ve been handed my resignation,” Hemsworth continued. “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. Be with the kids, be with my wife.”
As Hemsworth revealed, he refused to have the scenes where discovers his Alzheimer’s predisposition removed from Limitless, even after Disney offered to remove them.
“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,” Hemsworth explained. “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.”
What is Limitless about?
Starring Hemsworth and produced by Darren Aronofksy, Limitless asks what if you could combat aging and discover the full potential of the human body? New scientific research is shattering conventional wisdom about the human body and offering fascinating insights into how we can all unlock our body’s superpowers to fight illness, perform better and even reverse the aging process. This science is put to the test by Hemsworth, who, despite being in peak superhero condition, is on a personal mission to learn how to extend our health, strength and intellect further into our later years.
Undergoing a series of epic trials and extraordinary challenges in order to understand the limits of the human body, he’ll learn firsthand how we can live better for longer by discovering ways to regenerate damage, maximize strength, build resilience, supercharge memory and confront mortality. Entertaining, immersive and life-changing, “Limitless” will rewrite the rulebook on living better for longer.
