Chris Hemsworth ‘p****d off’ after everyone thought he had Alzheimer’s and was quitting acting

Chris Hemsworth wants to set the record straight – he has not quit acting.

The Thor and Extraction star was at the centre of shocking rumours two years ago that he would be leaving the profession after news broke that he was being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

The truth was far from this.

As part of a National Geographic docuseries Limitless, Hemsworth discovered that he carried a gene meaning he was at high risk of contracting the disease.

The news coincided with a planned break from acting, with Hemsworth having worked nearly non-stop in the years prior and having three young children, aged 11 and 10. The Marvel star claims the diagnosis reinforced his pre-existing plans to take a step back.

Despite this, social media became rampant with claims he had contracted the disease and was going to be quitting acting forever.

The actor has returned to the big screen this year with the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and, whilst currently unconfirmed, is expected to return for at least one more outing as Thor.

The Australian actor has spoken out though – claiming he is ‘p****d off’ everyone said he had Alzheimers.

He told Vanity Fair: “It really kind of p*ssed me off because it felt like I had been vulnerable with something personal and shared this.

Hemsworth in Limitless. (Disney)

“No matter how much I said, ‘This is not a death sentence,’ the story became that I have dementia and I’m reconsidering life and retiring and so on.”

The actor was praised at the time of the documentary’s released for his frankness and honesty in the face of such a terrifying discovery.

Karla Hult, an Alzheimer’s advocate, posted at the time on X (formerly known as Twitter) to say: “I’m obsessed. Ok, maybe not obsessed. It’s more of a healthy respect and deep admiration.

“An admiration that only grows every time Chris Hemsworth addresses how he’s at an increased risk of developing Alzheimers.”

In a prior interview with Vanity Fair at the time of his diagnosis, Hemsworth revealed the process where he found out the shocking detail about his health.

He said: “They took all my bloodwork and did a bunch of tests and the plan was to on-camera tell me all the results and then talk about how you can improve this and that.

“And Peter Attia, who is the longevity doctor in that episode, and overseeing a lot of the show, called [Limitless creator] Darren [Aronofsky] and said, ‘I don’t want to tell him this on camera. We need to have an off-side conversation and see if he even wants this to be in the show.’

“It was pretty shocking because he called me up and he told me.”

The actor is eight to ten times more likely to have Alzheimer’s in the future.

His grandfather also had the disease prior to his death in 2023.

If you've been affected by dementia or Alzheimer's and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer’s Society via 0333 150 3456 or visit their website for more information.

Topics: Health, Chris Hemsworth, Documentaries, US News, Celebrity

Michael Slavin