Cast member Chris Hemsworth (C) poses with his brothers actors Liam Hemsworth (L) and Luke Hemsworth during the premiere of the film "Vacation" at the Regency Village Theatre in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, California July 27, 2015. (Reuters)
No one can say Luke Hemsworth, 33, the eldest brother of Hollywood movie stars Chris, 32 and Liam, 25, doesn’t have a sense of humor.
“I’m the short, dumb brother,” he chuckles.
But he’s certainly man enough to admit that being Thor’s brother, has its advantages.
“In a lot of ways Chris and Liam are definitely worlds ahead of me in terms of the entertainment industry and the experience it brings which I’m more than happy to concede to,” he says.
“It’s certainly not a bad thing but there are also things that make it a bit harder for me because of the preconceptions that come along with me being a Hemsworth.” He shakes his head.
“It’s a strange world.”
Does he take the advice of his younger siblings?
“Yes, I take their advice but as their older brother a part of me also says, ‘Oh, shut up’,” he laughs.
The Hemsworth family business began in 2001 when Luke landed a role on "Neighbors" playing Nathan Tyson. The following year Chris briefly appeared on the famed soap opera, followed by Liam several years later.
Now Luke stars in the black comedy "Kill Me Three Times" in which he plays an ordinary guy who gets caught up in an extraordinary situation and stars opposite Simon Pegg.
Does Hemsworth know his way under the hood?
“I’m pretty good,” he laughs. “My first car was an Alpha Romeo and I learned some basic things.”
Now with his expanding acting resume, does the older Hemsworth feel like it’s his turn to shine?
“Not really,” he says matter-of-factly.
“It’s never been a competition thing. It’s about being able to do good work and it always has been. I don’t care where I sit in terms of hierarchy, box office takings or any of that stuff.
“The reality is that there’s never a part of me that wishes I was doing something else. It’s a wonderful career choice and I could never see myself sitting in an office and doing the 9 to 5 thing.
“Even when I was young I never related to that kind of world.”
This father of four has been consistently working in indie movies such as "Infini," and "The Anomaly" as well as television work such as the miniseries "Bike Wars: Brothers in Arms," and "Winners & Losers." In contrast to his high profile brothers, Luke has consciously stayed under the radar away from Hollywood.
“I’ve for sure stayed under the radar, but also, the opportunities I’ve had are much different. If I’d been offered a role in 'Avengers' or 'Thor,' it may be a different story, but the reality is that my path at the moment is different. I’m quite happy to stick to that path and see where it goes. You can’t ever force anything and you have to deal with what comes to you as it comes.”
Hemsworth is a good sport about the inevitable questions concerning his famous brothers. He laughs. “I never really felt like an older brother other than when I’d sit in the middle of them in the car and they’d fight across me and punch each other until one day I went, ‘Wait! That’s enough. Stop!”
Luke is currently living in Santa Monica with his wife of eight years, Samantha with whom he is raising their three daughters and one son, whose ages range from six to 2.
Does he feel the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?
"Yes. My kids are very creative. My eldest is incredible. She’s six years old. She gets up every morning and draws, and my five-year-old does the same. I hope that comes from me. That was something I used to do. I’ve got lots and lot of sketchbooks."
Hemsworth views his LA residence as temporary.
“I really miss Australia. I miss eating fish ‘n chips, oh my God, and Australian pies and the wonderful corner shops. I miss good surf where there are three or four people, as opposed to LA where there’s 30 or 40. I see living here for now as a means to an end. It’s a time in our life where we have to live here and hopefully we’ll shift back to Australia, but we’re not locked in either way. Maybe it’s to my detriment but I’ve never looked further ahead than a year and a half. But the girls have had have a wonderful upbringing in terms of being able to move around. Their passports are hilarious in terms of where they’ve been,” he says.
“The older ones are holding onto their Australian accents but my youngest daughter in particular is very American. She’s really entrenched and I actually find it really hilarious, really cute.” He leans forward.
“Though I do try to beat it out of her a little bit … gently.”
This article originally appeared in the New York Post.
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