14 DAY TRIAL // Chris Hemsworth is Thor, god of thunder, in the film of the same name that premieres next week. To promote it, he sat down with Interview magazine and spoke about working with Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, and about Thor’s hammer.
The Aussie says there’s no bigger honor than getting your first leading part in a film that also stars established actors like the two mentioned above.
The fact that Kenneth Branagh directed the film only made things better, Chris adds. If he also considers the situation he was in when he auditioned for the part, “Thor” is his dream come true.
“At that time in my life, I wasn’t in a position to pick and choose who I wanted to work with. I just needed to pay the rent, and I was excited to be involved with something on this scale,” he says of the film.
“I was signed up either way! This is by far the biggest thing I have ever been involved in and there is more anticipation than anything else,” he adds.
Chris insists that “Thor” will not be all about mindless action scenes like so many summer movies out there, saying that fans should expect to see some serious acting as well.
He also jokes about how all films with gods or Romans feature an English accent, and how audiences are inclined to believe the film is more relatable if it has it.
As such, he too had to learn to speak in an English accent – just like he had to learn to use the heavy iron hammer.
“It is a pretty impressive piece of equipment. It was quite heavy, so that helped with the stunts. If it was too light, you would swing it around like a toothpick and it wouldn’t look impressive,” the actor says.
“When there is some weight to it and you have to physically use your shoulder and back, it gives you a sense of power. I got very comfortable holding it,” Chris adds.
Hemsworth says that, while the common practice is not to let even the stars who appear in it see the film in its finished form, he was treated to a preview of a nearly completed version of “Thor” – and he swears it’s truly something else.