Chris Hemsworth to 'take some time off' following discovery of increased risk of Alzheimer's

MANILA, Philippines — "Thor" actor Chris Hemsworth will take some time away from acting after learning that he has the APOE4 gene, which is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Hemsworth was speaking to Vanity Fair promoting his newest show "Limitless," during the filming of which he made the discovery but did not want to make it a focal point.

Rather the revelation made Hemsworth be more aware about the fragility of life, particularly as he shared what he learned with others.

“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," said Hemsworth. "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.”

The actor got the news via a phone call after doing bloodwork as part of the fifth episode of "Limitless," and at the time of the call Hemsworth was with his mother and father.

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According to the doctor, Hemsworth obtained two copies of the gene APOE4 — one from each parent — which increases his chances of getting Alzheimer's disease eight to ten times more; Hemsworth's maternal grandfather currently has the disease.

"One in four people carry a single copy of the gene, but only 2 to 3% of the population have both, according to a 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health,” says an entry in the Vanity Fair article.

While he has informed his parents and wife of 12 years Elsa Pataky, he has yet to tell his three children with the Spanish model-actress, all of whom he plans to spend more time with at home after promotions for "Limitless" end.

“I don’t think they could have grasped the concept or have the understanding, so no,” Hemsworth said. “It’s not like I’ve been handed my resignation and this is what it is — and it’s up in a few months. It’s not quite that situation, thankfully. One day I’m sure I’ll bring it up."

Hemsworth appeared in "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Spiderhead" in 2022 and wrapped up productions for upcoming movies "Extraction 2" and the “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel “Furiosa” alongside Anya Taylor-Joy. 

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