Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, best known for his portrayal of the God of Thunder , Thor , in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, shared how he worked on his physique for the highly anticipated film Thor: Love and Thunder , back in 2022. In an earlier interview with The Telegraph , Hemsworth revealed that he considers himself to be the “fittest and strongest” since he grabbed the role of the iconic superhero.
Hemsworth acknowledged that during previous Thor films, he fell into the trap of overtraining, an issue that many muscle-building enthusiasts often overlook. He emphasized, “People who do muscle-building often don’t realize it’s a sport that shouldn’t be seven days a week, two hours a day. I was doing that in the previous Thors, and was coming up sorer, with less energy.” However, he went ahead and fine-tuned his workouts to find the best suitable approach for himself.
During the interview, Hemsworth also touched upon the public’s fixation on his physique and how it differs from their perception of weight fluctuations in other actors. He noted that actors like Christian Bale have received acclaim for their dramatic weight gain or loss for roles in movies such as Vice and The Machinist . However, individuals who put on and maintain significant muscle mass are often seen as arrogant. “Bodybuilding is seen as vanity, whereas if I put on a bunch of unhealthy weight, or got unhealthily skinny for a role, I’d probably be called a serious actor,” per PEOPLE .
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Despite this discrepancy in public perception, Hemsworth’s dedication and work ethic is evident to audiences. His physical preparation for his roles is well-known and highly publicized. Bobby Holland Hanton, Hemsworth’s stunt double since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World , expressed in a word with CNN Entertainment , “Everyone is like, ‘Wow, look at the size and him’, but I’m like yes, brilliant, now I have to put on that size as well. I text him, I’m like, ‘Thanks very much dude, this is going to be even harder this time!’” as he spoke of the challenges he faces in keeping up with Hemsworth’s weight gain. Hemsworth’s ability to effortlessly carry the excess weight required for his role has amazed those around him. Hanton described him as a “man mountain” and mentioned that he had to eat every two hours just to keep up with Hemsworth’s intense physical regimen.
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The interview with Hemsworth suggests that his muscle maintenance is akin to the constant training of an Olympic athlete, rather than merely relying on natural muscle retention. Nonetheless, Hemsworth seems to have found his stride and makes the arduous process appear effortless on screen with his charisma. His dedication to his physical transformation and his commitment to portraying his role that looks almost convincible to anyone, for his character of Greek God.
