It appears another alleged ‘macho’ Aussie male has infiltrated Hollywood and joining the ranks of the action star. If rumours are correct, Chris Hemsworth will be following in the footsteps of Sam Worthington and gracing the big screen in a big budget blockbuster.
Deadline Hollywood Daily reports that the 25-year-old has been cast in Marvel’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Thor, being directed by Kenneth Branagh.
While the fact that the British thespian Branagh is helming the superhero project still surprises me, the signing of Hemsworth is even more astounding.
Hemsworth first came to prominence in Australia by starring in the very crappy (this writer’s opinion) soap Home and Away for five years before joining the ever-growing contingent of ex-pats bunking down in L.A.
He has done little else since other than playing the pivotal role of George Kirk, Captain James T’s father, for no more than five minutes in JJ Abrams’ just released Star Trek. Though he has also recently been cast in a remake of Red Dawn, that ’80s flick that starred Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen about an invasion of the US.
A few bigger named actors had been linked to the part of Thor – Daniel Craig, Kevin McKidd and even wrestler Triple H – before Alexandar Skarsgard was believed to be the favorite.
DHD says, before missing out to Hemsworth, Skarsgard tested, along with a host of no-namers Charlie Hunnan, Liam Hemsworth (Chris’ brother), Joel Kinnaman and Tom Hiddleton, who has been handed the part of Loki, Thor’s arch enemy.
Now I can’t say I ever had the pleasure of seeing Hemsworth in Home and Away, or even been able to get to a cinema to check out the new Trek just yet, so I have no idea of his acting capabilities, but he is apparently a pretty big dude, at about six-foot-three, so has the height for the Norse God, but no doubt will be hitting the gym and the protein shakes big time to bulk up.
Still, it seems an interesting move to have him suddenly sitting there in the Marvel stable with Robert Downey Jnr (Ironman), Edward Norton (Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and co, all of which we may see team-up in the Avengers movie scheduled for a 2012 release, the year after Thor.
But, I suppose even Heath Ledger was in Home and Away once too, and fellow Oscar winner Russell Crowe was in Aussie soap rival Neighbours for a brief time. You gotta start somewhere. Good luck to him.
Read about how Hemsworth got the part of Thor HERE.
