Chris Hemsworth reveals why he disappeared from Hollywood for seven months

Australian national treasure Chris Hemsworth has revealed the reason behind his seven-month break from acting.

The Thor: Love and Thunder actor, 39, opened up to GQ about his decision to step away from acting after determining there were more important things than his career. 

Since his breakout role as the titular character Thor in Marvel's 2011 film, Hemsworth has been used to having a booked and busy schedule with jobs lined up "two or three years" ahead of him. 

However, since wrapping up his National Geographic docuseries, Limitless With Chris Hemsworth in November 2022, the actor has not returned to the big screen. 

READ MORE: Jessie J reveals identity of baby's father

"I was going from one film to another, didn't know if the phone was going to stop ringing," Hemsworth explained. 

"I'd spent so many years coming up thinking, am I going to make it? And once it starts to roll you're like, I don't want to get off this train". 

After finishing filming his docuseries, the actor came to the realisation that this could be his "one shot" to take a break from acting and be with his family. 

"All of these beautiful moments were rapidly flying past me," the Star Trek actor admitted.  "It made me just kind of want to wrap that show and get back and see my family," he said. "And I did."

The actor has been living at his blissful Byron Bay home with wife Elsa Pataky and their three children, India, 11, and nine-year-old twins Sasha and Tristan since November last year.

The family has lived in the idyllic New South Wales coastal town since 2015 where Hemsworth revealed he has been recently "enjoying downtime" surfing and hanging out with his kids. 

READ MORE: The Girl from Ipanema singer Astrud Gilberto dies aged 83

READ MORE: Susan Boyle Susan Boyle

Now, the former Home and Away actor is using unemployment to re-evaluate the meaning of his life.

"All of a sudden, there's a lot of questions that I probably haven't answered… I've been conveniently distracted and all of a sudden it's like, 'Oh, let's look a little deeper," he told GQ. 

"Who am I? What am I doing? What's my contribution? Is what I'm doing of value?"

These are just some of the questions that the actor has been muddling over the past seven months. 

Hemsworth's search for meaning outside of acting was compounded by the devastating loss of his grandfather. 

Hemsworth revealed to GQ that his grandfather recently died from Alzheimer's — the same disease the actor found out he had a genetic predisposition for last year while filming his docuseries.

"It made me think about my own life," the Spiderhead actor recalled after his grandfather's death. 

READ MORE: Harry's paranoia reveals a man who's failed to cope with fame

"And it wasn't about career or anything. It was about being remembered as someone who was good and kind and contributed something of value". 

For Hemsworth, the importance of his legacy is not so much the films he was in but the person his family and friends will remember him as.

"I hope that people think of me fondly and that I was a good person. That I was a good bloke. Like my grandpa". 

READ MORE: HH

The news of friend and Marvel co-star Jeremy Renner's near death experience earlier this year was also cause for Hemsworth to reflect on mortality and meaning in his life. 

"I think anything like that, it's an immediate realisation of 'Wow, any of us can go at any minute", he said. 

Hemsworth is adamant that for him to return to the big screen, it has to be for a special project. 

"It has to be more than a career move", he said, specifying that he will only take a project if he considers it "worthy of my time". 

READ MORE: Key quotes from Prince Harry's 55-page witness statement

In the meantime, Hemsworth is quite content continuing to enjoy spending quality time with his beautiful family in his Byron Bay haven. 

"Yes, it's daunting and terrifying, the awareness that the clock is ticking," Hemsworth admits.

However, the star is dedicated to making the most of his life "I'm going to soak up every moment," he vows. 

While there's no date for when we can expect to see Hemsworth on screens again, the actor shared with GQ that he has considered trying his hand at directing in the near future

"I think about it a lot, and more  recently, than I ever have", he said. 

For now, Hemsworth is more likely to be found surfing the waves or picking his kids up from school than on the silver screen.