Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has said that he will take a break from acting after he finishes his current round of promotions and the reason for this is that he has just found out that he is at an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
The actor got the news while he was filming the National Geographic documentary series Limitless after conducting a series of genetic tests which showed that he had two copies of a gene called APOE4 which is inherited from both parents. This predisposes him to the degenerative brain disease.
According to a recent study, those with both parents having the gene comprised 2 to 3% of the population and it made them eight to 10 times more likely to have Alzheimer’s.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor said it was his “biggest fear”. Although he was given the option not to talk about it on the show he decided to share it with others to “motivate them to take better care of themselves” and highlight “preventative steps” available to combat Alzheimer’s.
“My concern was I just didn’t want to manipulate it and overdramatize it, and make it into some sort of hokey grab at empathy, or whatever, for entertainment. It’s not like I’ve been handed my resignation.”
He also spoke about the intensity of knowing that Alzheimer’s was a strong possibility for him.
“It’s not a pre-deterministic gene, but it is a strong indication. Ten years ago, I think it was more thought of as a determinant.
“Yeah, there was an intensity of navigating it. Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death in the hope that we’ll somehow avoid it. We all have this belief that we’ll figure it out. 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.
“…If I didn’t know this [Alzheimer’s] information, I wouldn’t have made the changes I made. 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 prepare myself and prevent things happening in that way.”
He also said that the knowledge had made him rearrange his priorities a little.
“Now when I finish this tour this week. I’m going home and I’m going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify. Be with the kids, be with my wife.”
Hemsworth also recently completed Netflix’s Extraction 2 and Mad Max’s Fury Road prequel titled Furiosa. Limitless is currently streaming on Disney+.
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