Chris Hemsworth on ‘Sick and Twisted' Role in ‘Furiosa,' Having Imposter Syndrome and Facing His Mortality With ‘Limitless' Series

When Chris Hemsworth was told he would be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was thrilled - and a little bit suspicious. You see, the actor had been through this before.

"I'll tell you a funny story," Hemsworth says with a laugh. "At least I hope it's funny - it might make me look like an idiot. But I'll take the risk."

Back in 2019, Hemsworth and the cast of "Avengers: Endgame" were asked to put their handprints in cement outside the legendary TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. And Hemsworth conflated the two. "I thought that was the Walk of Fame! So when we did it, I thought, ‘Oh cool, I'm getting a star.'" he reveals. "And someone told me, ‘No, that's not what this is.'"

Hemsworth said nothing at the time. "I went along with it like I completely knew what was happening. It was kind of afterwards, I was like, ‘So, where's the star?'"

If all goes according to plan, Hemsworth will at last receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 23. And though he's honored, you can forgive him for being a little wary. "This is my second attempt in some ways," he notes. "That's where my suspicion and uncertainty stems from."

Though he was born and raised in Australia with siblings that would also become Hollywood stars, Hemsworth is very aware of what the Walk of Fame signifies, having grown up watching American entertainment. "Anytime Hollywood or L.A. was displayed on screen, there would be a reference to stars on the sidewalk," he recalls. When he first moved to L.A., he would pass through the area countless times on his way to auditions and meetings. "Like most people, I'd drive past and think, ‘Maybe one day!' But it was an incredibly far off, somewhat wild dream. It still feels a little dreamy, to be honest."

Despite his massive success in the industry, which has found him named one of the world's highest-paid actors, Hemsworth admits to flights of imposter syndrome. "It's so positive and great and I'm honored," he says. "But then there's that part of you that says, ‘It's not really happening. You dreamt that. Or they're tricking you.'"

If Hemsworth is living a dream, it's a dream come true as the star ceremony is tied to his latest film, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," which found him working with his fellow countryman George Miller, who he regularly refers to as both an icon and a legend. "Furiosa" is a prequel/spinoff of 2015's "Mad Max Fury Road," which was itself a follow-up to Miller's acclaimed 1979-85 trilogy, a franchise that meant a great deal to the actor. "There weren't many films where you would hear a prominent Australian accent in, so it felt very familiar," he says. "It felt like something that was ours as Australians as opposed to latching onto American films or British cinema."

He adds, "Someone once said that the Brits have ‘Harry Potter,' the Americans have ‘Star Wars' and we have ‘Mad Max.' And it's a true statement. There's a great amount of pride and appreciation around what George has built."

Hemsworth also has a personal connection, noting that his father used to race motorbikes and knew many of the stunt performers in the original trilogy. "I have very vivid memories of watching those films with him," he says. "And he would point out who he knew and how they had talked about doing certain stunts."

In "Furiosa," the actor is cast against type as the villain; his Warlord Dementus is the leader of the Biker Horde that abducts a young Furiosa, played by Alyla Browne as a child (and later by Anya Taylor-Joy as an adult). He relished the opportunity to be the bad guy in a go-for-broke performance, noting, "As sick and twisted as the character is, I enjoyed it a lot. I don't know what that says about me."

Hemsworth had high expectations of working with Miller, and the filmmaker more than delivered. "It was a script that allowed me the opportunity to do something I'd never done before and with an individual who had such depth and knowledge about the world," he enthuses. "At the same time, he was completely open to my interpretation of the character and welcomed the collaboration."

He notes that this is not always the case, especially for franchise films. "Often you work with people who have such success and there's a great amount of power there and you're kind of told to just stand in line. And you do it because they might know better," he says. "But to have such humility from someone in that position is refreshing. There's not an ounce of ego with George." And even though the set was noisy and chaotic by design, Hemsworth states that there was "a strange calm" to it as well. "Because the individual at the helm was very nurturing and very aware of everyone's safety and needs." Miller, for his part, has been open about hoping to work with Hemsworth again. In an interview with ComicBook.com, the director was even open to the suggestion he helm a fifth "Thor" movie.

Hemsworth certainly seems to endear himself to his directors. As a member of the Marvel Universe, he has frequently worked with the same directors, but he's madetwo films with Ron Howard ("Rush" and "In the Heart of the Sea") and Drew Goddard ("The Cabin in the Woods" and "Bad Times at the El Royale") along with starring in and producing both "Extraction" films with Sam Hargrave (and a third on its way). After establishing himself in the action and superhero genres, Hems-worth has showcased his comedy chops in movies such as 2016's "Ghostbusters" and "Men in Black: International" ­- not to mention some fairly iconic "Saturday Night Live" appearances.

When he's noticed in public, most people obviously bring up Thor, the role that launched his career into the stratosphere with the 2011 movie. But lately, he's also had many people approach him about his 2022 National Geographic documentary series "Limitless With Chris Hemsworth," in which he uses himself as a guinea pig in trials designed to help humans live longer, better lives. This includes fasting for several days and taking an icy water plunge in the Arctic. The series, which aired on Disney+, showed an incredibly intimate side of the star, particularly the final episode entitled "Acceptance" in which he prepares for death and discusses recently losing both his parents. The series, which is co-produced by Hemsworth's Protozoa Pictures, was recently picked up for

a second season.

"I was really blown away by how that resonated with people," he says. "When you've played a god with a cape that could fly for most of your career, it's nice to see something grounded." He did, however, have some concern about "keeping up appearances" - having played an indestructible superhero for so long, he worried that people might not want to see him so vulnerable. "I was a little nervous about all that," he admits. "But I think it's had the opposite effect. I've had so many people, from young kids to grandparents, coming up to tell me how much they relate to my struggles or fears or insecurities with their own life and coming away from the show with more agency on their health."

Tipsheet

WHAT Chris Hemsworth Walk of Fame Ceremony

WHEN 11:30 a.m., May 23

WHERE 6819 Hollywood Blvd.

WEBhttp://www.walkoffame.com