by It was just another day on the set of Home and Away for 27-year-old Chris Hemsworth. As Kim Hyde on the popular Australian TV show, Hemsworth was enjoying modest success in his home country. But little did he know his agent was about to call with life-changing news that would rocket Hemsworth to Hollywood stardom.
The Call That Started It All
When his phone rang that fateful day in 2009, Hemsworth had no clue it was a call that would alter the trajectory of his career indefinitely. On the other end was Hemsworth’s American agent, William Ward, with unexpected news that Marvel Studios wanted Hemsworth to audition for their upcoming film Thor.
Marvel was searching far and wide for the perfect actor to portray the Norse god superhero. When casting director Sarah Finn saw Hemsworth on Home and Away, she knew he had the look they needed for Thor – the imposing physique, piercing eyes, and undeniable charisma. Finn convinced Marvel to give this unknown Aussie actor a chance at the coveted role.
So Ward called his client to inform him that Marvel Studios requested he fly to Los Angeles immediately to screen test for Thor. Hemsworth was floored. He knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime, but it meant uprooting his life in Australia. After discussing it with his wife Elsa Pataky, Hemsworth decided he had to take the chance. He had no idea that call would pave the way for one of the most shocking overnight fame transformations in recent memory.
Nailing The Audition That Shocked Marvel
Leaving Pataky behind in Australia, Hemsworth made his way to LA to audition for Thor director Kenneth Branagh. The pressure was on, with Hemsworth facing off against hundreds of actors to win the role. But as soon as he entered the room, Hemsworth impressed Branagh with his take on the iconic character. The audition lasted just 3 minutes, but Hemsworth brought a raw energy and presence that blew Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige away.
Feige recalled his shocked reaction in an interview, saying “Ken Branagh came in after the audition and said ‘I think we found our Thor.’ We brought Chris Hemsworth back in, he read it again, and he was just as good if not better than the first time. There was no hesitation, no ‘let’s put him through the paces.’ We put him right into a costume, we put him in front of a green screen, we put him in a scene with Anthony Hopkins, and he held his own.”
Just like that, Hemsworth clinched the role of a lifetime by shockingly earning Thor on the spot. They quickly rushed him into costume fitting and on-camera chemistry reads. The Aussie actor keep stunning Marvel with his performances, proving he was the perfect choice to launch their cinematic universe as the future Avenger.
The Shocking Call That Made Hemsworth Cry
Landing the career-making role immediately brought Hemsworth to tears. In that truly shocking moment, the magnitude of life as he knew it changing sank in. When Hemsworth called his wife to share the incredible news that he was chosen to play Thor, he was overcome with emotion. Hemsworth later told Jimmy Kimmel:
“I remember calling my wife and I was trying to contain my emotion and excitement because I kept saying ‘oh maybe the next step is another audition or maybe…’ but I was very excited. She could hear it in my voice I was emotional. I had to pretend I had hay fever.”
Pataky heard her husband crying tears of joy on the other end of the line, confirming this was no routine audition outcome. Hemsworth really achieved his Hollywood dream against all odds. He manifested his fairytale-like fate with that poignant Thor audition.
The Instant Fame That Shocked Hemsworth
Immediately after hanging up with his overjoyed wife, the gravity of Hemsworth’s imminent fame hit him at warp speed. He knew starring in the Marvel blockbuster would make him an A-list celebrity practically overnight.
Recalling that sudden realization, Hemsworth said “I hung up the phone and thought, oh god, my life is going to change. What have I just agreed to? I started having panic attacks for the next few weeks because I thought I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
The soon-to-be superstar was shocked by his instant catapult into the limelight. Hemsworth went from relative obscurity to shooting for the stars as Thor fast enough to give anyone whiplash. But he trusted the Disney-Marvel machine to guide him through the transition. And just as shocking as the initial overnight fame was how quickly Hemsworth adjusted to life in the global spotlight.
How Thor Instantly Made Hemsworth Famous Worldwide
The 2011 release of Thor marked Hemsworth’s swift rise to A-list fame across the globe. His commanding performance left a lasting impact, imprinting the epic superhero in pop culture forever. After the first weekend’s $66 million domestic box office intake shocked analysts, Thor and Hemsworth were cemented in history.
Almost instantly, Hemsworth became a highly sought after star in Hollywood. The overnight fame meant Hemsworth was suddenly fielding calls to join some of the biggest franchises in the industry off the success of his Thor debut.
Within the next five years, Hemsworth starred in huge studio films like Snow White and the Huntsman, Rush, the Avengers series, Vacation, Ghostbusters, Men in Black: International and more. Of course Thor: Ragnarok and other subsequent Marvel films further boosted Hemsworth’s star power to astronomical levels.
But even though fame came fast, Hemsworth had no idea what that single Thor role would morph into over the next decade. No one could predict the Australian soap actor’s shocking overnight rise to becoming the global icon heralded as the Greatest Avenger today.
How The Shocking Call Made Hemsworth One Of The World’s Highest-Paid Actors
According to Forbes, Chris Hemsworth earned $76.4 million in 2019, positioning him as Hollywood’s 4th highest paid actor that year. As Thor alone, Hemsworth can command a $15-20 million salary plus backend box office bonuses amounting to extra millions per Marvel film.
On becoming one of the industry’s top money-makers seemingly overnight, Hemsworth has said “My first job was $150 a week after taxes. No one owns a private jet or can even imagine that world, so you don’t miss it. Then this industry draws you in and before you know it, you don’t know life without it.”
The shocking phone call informing Hemsworth of his Thor audition set this exponential wealth in motion. That fateful moment put the actor on a path toblockbuster movie riches beyond his wildest dreams. Now the Australian outsider has joined the ranks of elite movie star royalty like Leonardo DiCaprio, Dwayne Johnson, and Robert Downey Jr.
How Thor Made Hemsworth A True Leading Man
Before Thor, Hemsworth had no traction stateside despite years of work in Australian TV and film. But the superhero role was his big Hollywood break that enabled Hemsworth to transcend being typecast as the hunky himbo. Thor displayed Hemsworth could seriously act, transforming his stage and screen credibility forever.
In a Variety interview, Hemsworth spoke to this career-elevating evolution, saying “Up to that point, I’d only been playing high school roles. Part of me wanted to prove to myself, prove to the industry and anyone watching that I could really act. Playing the God of Thunder enabled me to do that.”
Now as an acclaimed leading man who added comedy chops starring in Vacation, Hemsworth is conscious of choosing roles that foster career longevity. Next he’ll co-star beside Emily Blunt in the 2024 Houdini biopic. As one of the few actors made instantly famous by comic book movies, Hemsworth acknowledges “Thor changed everything. It redefined my career. I’m very thankful to Marvel and the people who gave me the shot.”
How The Shocking Call Kickstarted A Blockbuster Acting Dynasty
Beyond his individual success, Hemsworth’s career-transforming Thor casting paved the way for a Hemsworth family acting dynasty in Hollywood. Thanks to youngest brother Chris scoring the Marvel gig, elder brothers Luke and Liam Hemsworth also migrating stateside to capitalize on his newfound fame halo effect.
Liam rode Chris’s coattails to win the lead in The Hunger Games franchise which cemented his stardom through the early 2010s. Luke also landed TV roles on Westworld and Marvel series. But Chris remains the most famous Hemsworth eleven years later, still reaping the benefits of the urgent call to screen test for Thor turning his world upside down practically overnight back in 2009.
How Chris Hemsworth Leveraged Instant Fame Into Entrepreneurship
As Hemsworth’s star rapidly rose to meteoric heights, the burgeoning movie star capitalized on his newfound influence. Hemsworth parlayed his globally recognizable name into lucrative entrepreneurial ventures across diverse industries.
Take his fitness app Centr, launched in 2019 to offer Thor-worthy workout and nutrition programming. The app touting Hemsworth as its face and body has earned $10 million worldwide.
Across the globe in Australia, Hemsworth also founded a $30 million Byron-based mega-mansion compound called Broken Head Retreat in 2021. The wellness resort profits from visitors willing to pay top dollar to vacation like movie royalty and potentially hobnob with Hemsworth.
Additionally, the actor expanded into film and TV production by launching Wild State production company in 2016. Wild State projects showcase Hemsworth starring roles that enable him to flex his creative muscles behind the screen.
Hemsworth’s other major endeavor is steering sustainability efforts like investing in plant-based food companies or promotional initiatives. As a lifelong surfer and nature lover, the influential star advocates for ocean conservation worldwide.
Though fame came in an instant back in 2009, Hemsworth continually finds new ways to diversify his career’s sky-high earning power. Once just a working-class Australian actor, that single shocking phone call informing Hemsworth of his Thor opportunity reshaped his destiny forever.
