Chris Hemsworth is taking on fewer acting roles after discovering he is ‘predisposed to Alzheimer’s.’
The Thor star, 39, is not planning to quit showbiz anytime soon but is slowing down “after learning that he is at a very high risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease later in life,” per Page Six.
According to the outlet, “The Aussie actor has four upcoming projects – including revisiting his “Thor” character in an upcoming “Avengers” sequel, and an untitled Hulk Hogan biopic. But after those projects, says a source, “he doesn’t plan to take on many roles because of [learning about his high risk for] Alzheimer’s.”
A source told Page Six that apart from these four projects, Hemsworth’s schedule looks awfully clear in the near future.
Last year, in November, Chris spoke to Vanity Fair in an interview and stated that he has no plans to retire from Hollywood. However, he would take a ‘more curated approach to things.’
The actor learned about the risk of having the disease while filming his National Geographic and Disney+ docuseries, “Limitless.”
“After having bloodwork done for the program, he was informed he is ‘between eight and 10 times’ likelier to develop Alzheimer’s than the general population, because he is one of only two to three percent of people with two copies of the gene APOE4,” per Daily Mail.
The Marvel actor spoke about the discovery with The Glossy, saying, “Yeah, there was an intensity to navigating it.”
“Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death,” he added. “Then to all of a sudden be told some big indicators are actually pointing to this as the route which is going to happen, the reality of it sinks in. Your own mortality.”
“For me, the positive of it was like: “Right, if I didn’t know this information, I wouldn’t have made the changes I made,”‘ said Chris.
“I just wasn’t aware of any of it, so now I feel thankful that I have in my arsenal the sort of tools to best prepare myself and prevent things happening in that way.”
Adding that although it was difficult to cope with the reality at first, he said,
“Very quickly it became a self-deprecating sort of joke, if you will. It’s just the way I am, my family, there’s a sense of humor.”
The Extraction star said his biggest fear in life is the idea that if he develops the disease, he would not be able to remember his family.
“The idea that I won’t be able to remember the life I’ve experienced, or my wife, my kids, is probably my biggest fear,” he said.
The Rush star shares three children with his wife, Elsa Pataky, 46 – daughter India, 10, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, 8.
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Sources: Page Six – Daily Mail
