“Thor: Love and Thunder” actor Chris Hemsworth learned during the filming of the new Disney+ series Limitless, that he is at a high risk of generic Alzheimer’s disease.
The show, “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth” is a documentary series on Disney+. In this series, the actor is embarked on a personal journey to find ways in which humans can live longer and combat aging. The methods are quite off-the-beaten paths that include swimming across an icy fjord, walking along a cane high above the ground, and many more.
He was on a mission to go beyond his comfort zone by physically challenging himself, and now he has an even stronger reason for doing it.
In a battery of genetic tests that were etched into his DNA, the doctors discovered the sobbing truth.
The 39-year-old actor learned in the fifth episode of the series, “Memory,” that he has two copies of the APOE4 gene, one from each of his parents. This means that he has a heightened chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. “Probably somewhere between eight and 10 times higher than that of someone in the general population,” explained the longevity doctor, Peter Attia.
The chance is high as per studies, one in four people carry a single copy of the gene, but only 2 to 3% of the population have both, making the probability of having Alzheimer’s high.
Initially, the doctor shared this news with Chris off-camera. The doctor did not want to tell him this on camera. He supposed the need to have an off-side conversation. Later the actor was permitted to roll the cameras and continue with the discovery and the series. During a confessional in the series, the Thor actor dejectedly revealed that “the idea that I won’t be able to remember the life I’ve experienced, or my wife, my kids, is probably my biggest fear.”
The face-off with the truth made him face his mortality.
In the later part of the fifth episode of Limitless, Hemsworth revealed that the news about him having a chance to have Alzheimer’s in the future did not come as a total shock. His grandfather also has Alzheimer’s.
In an interview with VanityFair, Hemsworth shared that the indication of the probable future made him change his attitude towards the series. “The show, which initially was an exploration of longevity and, of course, should be fun, became even more relevant and important for me, even more, poignant than I ever thought it would be,” shared the actor.
The Marvel actor is now taking steps to prevent dementia. He is using tools like sleep management, stress management, nutrition, and fitness. Hemsworth has clearly stated that he has zero intention of “manipulating” or “overrepresenting” the news “for the sake of empathy or entertainment.” He modestly wants to share his experience and inspire others.
