The Hemsworth brothers−Chris, Liam, and Luke−are known for their successful movie careers, but even more for their jaw-dropping good looks. The three Hollywood hotties hailed from Australia and were born to parents as handsome as they are. How did they get their big break into the entertainment industry?
Most fans don’t know that Luke, the eldest Hemsworth, was the first to score a role on screen. Luke paved the way for his younger brothers’ success and was soon outshined by them both. Later, Luke got his big break in Hollywood with Chris’s help.
Upbringing in the Outback
But we are getting ahead of ourselves! The story of the Hemsworth brothers started way back, down under, in the Australian Outback. The eldest brother, Luke Hemsworth, was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1980, to Leonie van Os and Craig Hemsworth. He was joined three years later by a younger brother, Christopher Hemsworth.
In 1990, the two boys gained a third brother, Liam Hemsworth. During their childhood, the Hemsworth family moved back and forth between Melbourne and the Outback in Bulman, which is in Australia’s Northern Territory, where their parents worked on a cattle farm, and the boys roamed freely.
Leonie and Craig
Before working on the cattle farm and running a community center in the Outback, Leonie was a schoolteacher, and Craig worked as a social services counselor. They were both born in Australia, but Leonie’s ancestors were Dutch, while Craig’s were British and German.
Their home in the Outback was “four-and-a-half hours from the nearest town,” according to Chris. They were surrounded by “crocodiles and buffalo,” and the boys studied at a small, 60 pupil school that taught first grade to twelfth. Growing up, the three brothers didn’t always get along.
The Hemsworth House of Horrors
Liam shared that he and Chris didn’t get along very well as kids and would fight nonstop. Luke once referred to their home as “the Hemsworth house of horrors.” The boys were always getting into squabbles and later claimed, “It’s one way of expressing love. That was how we did it in our house.”
Liam admitted that when he was eight years old, he threw a knife at Chris’s head. He joked, “It was just a warning. Like if you mess with me, I’ll throw a knife at your head.” Luckily, only the handle hit Chris, and he was unharmed.
Preparation for The Hunger Games
The roughhousing between the young Hemsworths was mutual, and Chris shared that he and Luke would bully Liam with a BB gun. He confessed, “We made Liam put a motorbike helmet on, and a couple of jumpers and some gloves, and we said ‘run’ and we had to hunt him around the house.”
Of course, “[ Liam] didn’t love that game as much as [his brothers] did.” But it ended up being good preparation for his role as Gale in The Hunger Games. As they grew older, the Hemsworths started to get along better.
The Surfer Boys
By the time Liam was in eighth grade, the Hemsworths had moved from the Outback to Phillip Island in Victoria. There they spent their days surfing in the sun. The three of them were still always competing, trying to outdo one another.
According to Liam, their competitive nature is their strength: “We are brothers, and we are always competitive, but it is a good thing. It pushes us.” Luke opened a flooring business and hired his brothers to work for him before being cast in the beloved Australian soap opera Neighbors.
Luke Was First
Luke was the first Hemsworth to act professionally after training at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Arts. In 2001, he was cast to play Nathan Tyson in Neighbours. A year after Luke got his start, Chris also started acting, scoring the part of King Arthur in the show Guinevere Jones.
Next, Chris appeared in one episode of Neighbours alongside his brother. Throughout the early 2000s, the two elder Hemsworth brothers starred mostly on Australian TV. Luke had recurring roles in shows such as Blue Heelers and Last Man Standing.
Home and Away
In 2004, Chris was cast as Kim Hyde in the Aussie soap opera Home and Away. He became a series regular, relocating to Sydney to be near the set. Chris has claimed his time on Home and Away taught him “a lot about the industry.”
In 2007, Liam appeared alongside Chris in one episode of the show, and later that year, Chris left the series to focus on his career, hoping to make it in America. Meanwhile, Luke’s career hadn’t taken off; he was still only doing occasional television episodes.
It Was Liam’s Turn
Soon it was Liam’s turn to shine. The youngest Hemsworth was still in high school and working as a floor layer, but he dreamed of being an actor like his older brothers. Liam acted in the school plays, and, finally, at age sixteen, he got the chance to perform alongside Chris in Home and Away.
After that, the roles started rolling in, and Liam appeared in McLeod’s Daughters and then in Luke’s old show Neighbours. Liam starred in Neighbours until 2008, playing the part of Josh Taylor.
Making It in America
In 2009, while Luke stayed behind in Australia, both Chris and Liam moved to America to pursue careers in the motion picture industry. The first Chris Hemsworth film released in America was the 2009 Star Trek film, directed by J.J. Abrams, in which he played George Kirk.
A film critic named Josh Tyler appreciated Chris’s short performance and referred to it as the: “best five minutes I’ve spent in a movie theater this year.” So, Chris was on the map and cast in the thriller A Perfect Getaway.
A Future A-Lister
The first audition Chris attending after arriving in America was Ca$h, which was released in 2010. The director, Stephen Milburn Anderson, recalled how “fresh off the boat” Chris had seemed, but he knew the actor had potential.
Anderson later said about Chris, “Here’s a guy who is young, has the right look, is a very good actor and, let’s face it, he’s beautiful. So, I say, we need to get this guy in. I was very impressed.” It was clear that Chris was on his way to becoming an A-lister.
The Last Song
Meanwhile, Liam started out 2009 with an American sci-fi thriller called Knowing, followed by a British thriller called Triangle. After living in L.A. for only three weeks, he got his big break with no agent and was cast as the male lead in The Last Song.
The film was a romantic teen drama, based on a novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. In The Last Song, Liam starred opposite Miley Cyrus, who would later become his wife. The film was a box office success, despite receiving unfavorable reviews.
Brother vs. Brother
In 2009, Liam was called into Marvel Studios to read for the role of Thor, and a week later, his brother was called in as well. The two were pitted against each other for a part that was sure to make one of their careers.
When asked what it felt like to be brother against brother, Chris answered, “You know, you try to use it to your advantage as far as if there’s any knowledge you can give each other [about parts], you do.” Eventually, Chris won the role.
Serious Superhero Status
2011 was the year both Chris and Liam gained serious superhero status and became the Hollywood heartthrobs they are regarded as today. Chris’s first Marvel movie, Thor, came out that year. He gained twenty pounds of muscle for the part, becoming even hotter than before, if that’s even possible.
Chris’s performance gained praise, and he reprised it a year later in The Avengers, which was an enormous success, both critically and financially. Meanwhile, in 2011, Liam was cast in the first film of The Hunger Games franchise.
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games was released in 2012 with Liam as Gale Hawthorne, one of the two male leads, opposite Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games was even more successful than Thor and gained Liam a place beside his brother on Hollywood’s A-list.
In 2012, aside from playing the God of Thunder in The Avengers, Chris appeared in the horror movie Cabin in the Woods in what was considered his sexiest role so far. Both brothers had made it big and were here to stay. But what about Luke?
Still Down Under
While his younger brothers entered the spotlight and walked the red carpet, Luke Hemsworth stayed in Australia. He owned a flooring business that provided him with financial security but still appeared in Aussie soap operas every so often in guest roles.
Most of all, Luke was busy with his family life, and it wasn’t the right time to move overseas and follow his brothers. In 2007, Luke married his wife, Samantha. The happy couple had four kids together named Alexandre, Harper Rose, Ella, and Holly.
Happily Ever After
Luke wasn’t the only Hemsworth to find his happily ever after. In 2010, not long after moving to Los Angeles, Chris met Elsa Pataky, the Spanish model, and actress. They have the same P.R. representative who introduced them. By December of that year, they were married.
Chris and Elsa tied the knot while on vacation, just as he was on the brink of becoming a star. In May 2012, Elsa gave birth to their first child, a girl called India Rose. Liam’s relationship status is a little more complicated.
Liam and Miley
Starting in June 2009, while shooting The Last Song, Liam began dating his costar, Miley Cyrus. Their relationship was never without drama, and in 2012 he proposed to her, after three years of being on again off again. Around that time, they moved in together.
But their bliss didn’t last, and in 2013, the couple called off their engagement. Liam was sad to part with his fiancé. Liam claimed that he and Miley would “always be best friends” and that they shared “an instantaneous and powerful connection.”
They Were on a Break
While they were on a break in 2013, Liam was spotted making out with Eiza Gonzalez, the Baby Driver actress. After that, in 2014, rumors of a fling between Liam and Nina Dobrev, the star of The Vampire Diaries, surfaced, though nothing came of their relationship.
In 2015, Liam met Maika Monroe on the set of Independence Day: Resurgence, and the two started seeing each other casually. But none of his flings lasted, and it seemed like Liam might be holding out for Miley after all.
The Reappearing Ring
In early 2016, rumors that Miley and Liam were back together started cropping up after the couple was spotted outside Hemsworth’s house. Soon, an engagement ring reappeared on Cyrus’s finger, confirming suspicions. In October of that year, the pair went public with their renewed engagement.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 2018, went Cyrus and Hemsworth’s shared home burnt down in a wildfire. Luckily, Miley, Liam, and their pets were unharmed. That year, they donated $500,000 to The Malibu Foundation, which went towards rebuilding neighborhoods damaged in the disaster.
Tying the Knot
The fire brought the couple closer together a friend noted: “Liam caring for animals and helping others during the Malibu fire sealed the deal” for Miley. Since their home was destroyed in the fire, Miley and Liam decided to marry at the popstar’s other home.
They didn’t want a fancy ceremony, just to have a small, private party surrounded by their star-studded families and friends. So, the longtime couple finally tied the knot on December 23, 2018, at Miley’s house in Nashville, Tennessee.
Citing Irreconcilable Differences
After less than a year, in August 2019, Hemsworth and Cyrus decided to separate again. Miley felt that she didn’t “fit into a stereotypical wife role,” and soon Liam filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized in January 2020.
At long last, their rocky relationship was over. Miley confessed that many of the songs she wrote while they were together are about Liam, including Wrecking Ball. She also shared that despite her marriage to Liam, she “still [is] very sexually attracted to women” and came out as pansexual.
Out of the Spotlight
Since his split with Miley, Liam has kept his love life out of the spotlight. However, in October 2019, the youngest Hemsworth started dating fellow Australian actress Maddison Brown. Their fling fizzled out quickly, and by December, he was linked with model Gabriella Brooks.
Liam and Gabriella were first spotted on dates in Byron Bay, Australia, staying far from prying eyes. They officially appeared in public for the first time in 2021 at the Gold Dinner in Sydney, Australia. They attended the event along with Chris and Elsa.
Working With Elsa
In 2018, Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky got a chance to work side by side in the film 12 Strong. They appear in the movie as a married couple. According to Chris, “Obviously, it was much easier with Elsa playing my wife. I felt like we’ve been rehearsing more than seven years for this part.”
Before filming, they were worried that they might not have on-camera chemistry, but of course, they did. Reportedly, the beautiful couple even added some improvised lines taken from their own relationship.
Twin Hemsworth Sons
It must have been hard to take time off together to film 12 Strong, considering that in 2014 Elsa gave birth to twin sons, Tristan and Sasha Hemsworth. Somehow, they managed, and the shooting felt like a “second honeymoon” for them.
In 2015, a year after having twins, the Fast and Furious actress, and the Thor actor moved from L.A. to Byron Bay, Australia. Back in Chris’s home country, they now spend more time with Leonie and Craig Hemsworth, who are happy to be grandparents.
Brothers Trading Places
Before Chris decided to move his home base back to Australia, Luke thought of moving to L.A. It “was always a quiet burn in the back of my mind [and…] around when Chris got Thor, I went, ‘Maybe I can think about throwing everything into it again,'” Luke later shared.
Luke was still acting, but only in Australia in soap operas and independent films. Leaving his business behind seemed risky, but luckily Chris reached out to help his older brother make it in Hollywood.
Training the God of Thunder
When Chris’s regular fitness trainer couldn’t come to London with the actor to shoot Thor: The Dark World in 2013, he suggested that Luke come train him. Luke shared, “I didn’t have any qualifications, but I was always heavily into training, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
The oldest Hemsworth took the leap and joined his brother on set. The money he made training Chris to be the God of Thunder allowed him to move to L.A. So, Luke, Samantha, and their children moved to America so he could follow his dreams.
His Big Break
But getting cast wasn’t as easy as Luke had hoped. He auditioned for roles in pilots and was turned down for not being “authentic New York enough.” He thought about giving up, but Chris’s agent convinced him to stay.
After working on a few minor films, Luke finally got his big break in 2014, when he was cast in HBO’s sci-fi series, Westworld, as Ashley Stubbs. Westworld came out in 2016. At the premiere, Luke said, “It’s taken two years… and it had its problems, but it’s turned out alright!”
The Other Hemsworth
Until Westworld, Luke was called “the other Hemsworth,” but he had finally proved his worth! The show was critically acclaimed and won nine Emmys. Despite his newfound fame, Luke still preferred to stay out of the limelight, saying, “I don’t like
talking about myself!”
The actor shared that his marriage and children are the reason he has avoided potential celebrity pitfalls. When asked about his life, Luke said, “I live by the beach, go surfing, take walks, get coffee, and do really boring stuff most of the time.”
Chris’s Continued Success
Moving back to Australia hasn’t impacted Chris’s success at all. The actor still travels to the U.S. and wherever else for roles and auditions. Aside from starring in ten Marvel films as Thor, he has revealed his acting chops in many other performances.
Chris plays the role of the huntsman in the Snow White and the Huntsman film franchise. In 2018, he appeared in the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale and, in 2019, in Men in Black: International. Chris’s most recent film, Extraction, was released in 2020.
Liam’s Still at It
Liam hasn’t let his personal life stop him from acting and is still at it, appearing in movies and television. Aside from reprising his role as Gale in all four installments of The Hunger Games, Liam appeared in the action film Independence Day: Resurgence.
The youngest Hemsworth is also known for his non-action roles. In 2013, he starred in the romantic drama Love and Honor, and in 2015, he played Kate Winslet’s love interest in The Dressmaker. In 2019, Liam starred opposite Rebel Wilson in Isn’t It Romantic.
Not Everyone Knows
Liam’s most recent role was as Dodge Maynard in the series Most Dangerous Game in 2020. But despite their fame, not everyone knows that Liam, Chris, and Luke are brothers. Liam’s costar Woody Harrelson first found out during the promotion for Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013.
Liam and Woody sat for an interview, and when the interviewer asked Hemsworth about his brother, Harrelson was astounded. Until that moment, Woody hadn’t realized his costar and the actor who plays Thor were related and said, “I honestly never put that together.”
Friends of the Hemsworths
The Hemsworths love spending time together but also have a lot of other celebrity friends. Chris and Elsa are close with Matt Damon and his wife and are often spotted in their company. Furthermore, Chris Hemsworth is close with his Avengers costars, especially Chris Evans, who is like a brother to him.
Liam shared that sometimes he gets jealous when Chris hangs out with his celebrity friends more than he does with him and Luke. Luckily, Liam has befriended many costars, too, from Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson to Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson.
Down to Earth
Despite being international Hollywood stars, the three brothers are still very down to earth. Chris recently shared that one reason he wanted to become a successful actor was to help support his parents financially.
He shared, “We grew up with very little money, and that kind of frustrated me as a kid listening to my parents talk about bills every week and sort of seeing the sort of weight that put on them. I thought, ‘That’s it. I’m gonna make money and pay off their house,'” and he did.
The Best Parents You Could Have
Liam is an ambassador of the Australian Childhood Foundation and has attributed his interest in the foundation to his parents: “I have the best parents you can have. They have worked in child protection for twenty years and have only ever given me encouragement and support.”
Aside from volunteering with kids, Liam Hemsworth was a longtime vegan, which made him feel “positive, mentally and physically.” However, in 2020, he was hospitalized with kidney stones and decided to “completely rethink what [he] was putting in [his] body,” quitting his plant-based diet.
Chris’s Business: Centr
Liam should ask for Chris’s advice about health, seeing as his older brother has a business dedicated to wellness. Chris’s business is called Centr, and it is built to help people get in shape with the aid of the personal team of trainers that helped him get so buff.
For Chris, “health and fitness is not just a job, it’s a passion,” and he “created Centr to share that passion with everyone.” Elsa is on the team too, and according to her, “You have to train your inside, the same as your outside.”
The Team of Trainers
Aside from Chris and Elsa, the Centr team of trainers includes specialists from various wellness and fitness practices. For instance, there are strength, MMA, Boxing, muscle building, cardio, Pylo, and functional trainers.
Likewise, there are yoga teachers, dynamic yoga specialists, Pilates instructors, and podcasts about health, nutritious meal plans and recipes, guided meditations, and fitness challenges. It’s all about helping his fans; Chris claims, “We all need support. This is the team that unlocked my potential and helped me live my happiest, healthiest life. Now my team is yours.”
People’s Choice Awards
Throughout the years, Chris has established himself as a fan favorite. The actor has been nominated for many awards but consistently wins the People’s Choice Award. He first snagged a win in 2013 as Favorite Action Movie Star, which he won again in 2016.
In 2017, he won the Kids’ Choice Awards for Ghostbusters. That’s not all; Chris won the People’s Choice Award yet again in 2020, this time for his performance in Extraction. What can we say? The people love him, and we understand why!
Another Fan Favorite
Liam has won the favor of his fans as well, winning the same award as his brother in 2012, for his role in The Hunger Games, along with his costars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. He also won the Teen Choice Awards two years before for The Last Song.
Likewise, in the 2010 Nickelodeon Australian Kids’ Choice Awards, Liam and Miley won an award called Favorite Kiss for their on-screen lip-lock in the film. Luke has yet to bring home any awards, but we’re sure he’ll win one soon.
The Face of Australian Tourism
In 2018, Luke was picked to become Tourism Australia’s fresh face, and he appeared in a hilarious Crocodile Dundee ad. Luke is also regarded as the funniest of the three Hemsworth brothers, at least according to him.
He shared on Who’s Most Likely, that he would love to start a band with his brothers. Luke also revealed that his younger brothers didn’t last long in the flooring business and didn’t like to get their hands dirty; Chris worked for him only a week and Liam just one day.
Neighbours and Neighbors
The three brothers famously starred in the Australian soap opera Neighbours but have also been neighbors in real life. Before he and Miley’s house burned down in a fire, Liam lived just five minutes away from Luke. Talk about a great location!
Following his divorce from Miley, Liam moved back to Australia for a while and decided to chill in Byron Bay, in the same area that his other brother lives. Soon he made it permanent and bought a house close to Chris and Elsa’s, happy to be living near family.
We Are the Same Person
Luke said of himself and his brothers, “we are actually the same person,” because they have so much in common. All three brothers are “terrible with peer pressure” and easily convinced to do whatever people suggest; plus, everything is a competition for them.
Jennifer Lawrence famously calls Liam “Bear” because she thinks he and his brothers are like a pack of bears. Jennifer shared, “[Liam’s] whole family, they’re real animals. It’s the craziest family I’ve ever been around in my life. The way they communicate is so physical and crazy.”
Spending Time Together
There truly is nothing cuter than the Hemsworth family relationship. When they all reunited in New South Wales, Australia, they hung out together nonstop. Chris made waves when he was spotted out surfing with his dad, Craig, who, by the way, looks great for his age.
The Hemsworths all enjoy surfing and spending time basking in the Australian sun, but they also know how to throw a party. For Luke’s 40th birthday, the brothers and their families and friends held a Peaky Blinders-themed bash, complete with costumes and whiskey.
More to Come
These three handsome hunks have totally taken Hollywood by storm over the last decade and continue to excite audiences with their talent. Chris has a few projects in the making, including the sci-fi film, Escape from Spiderhead, he is producing and acting in.
There is also another Marvel movie on the way. In 2022, Thor: Love and Thunder should hit theaters; Luke is also set to appear alongside Chris in the film, playing an actor playing Thor, as he did in Thor: Ragnarök in 2017.
Rugged Good Looks
They aren’t only busy with acting; Luke and Chris are also devoted dads, raising their kids to be as loud and fun as they are. Who knows? Maybe someday their kids will also become actors; they certainly have the right genes.
From their dad Craig to Liam, the youngest, there is no one hotter than the Hemsworths. We hope to see more of the rugged good looks of these three handsome Hemsworths in the years to come and to keep being inspired by their loving and supportive relationship with each other.