The fact that dad Chris is one of the most in-demand Hollywood actors and they all live in a sprawling multi-million ocean-front mansion doesn’t really impress anyone around Byron Bay that much.
“Here, if someone recognises you it doesn’t tend to be as big a deal,” confirms the down-to-earth 37-year-old star of Thor and Avengers: Endgame.
“People are like, ‘Oh yeah, cool,” then onward with the day. If you are living in Hollywood, people have travelled from around the world to see people in the entertainment business and they’ve got the cameras ready and a bigger deal is made of it.
“Here, we have a very normal existence, people are very respectful, and that’s why we chose to come here.”
Together with his wife, actor Elsa Pataky, 44, Chris has the dreaded “three under three” – daughter India Rose, 8, and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, 6.
Family life is chaotic and all-consuming, but Chris says he wouldn’t swap it for anything.
“The biggest thing I’ve learnt having kids is that now I know what love is, I know what frustration is,” Chris tells Sunday Life magazine.
“I know the full gamut of emotions, good and bad. I feel I had just scratched the surface prior.”
If his Hollywood CV is any guide, Chris must be doing something right – he has a reported net worth of US $130 million and commands more per flick than Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Russell Crowe or Hugh Jackman.
But even today, the humble hero never takes his movie success for granted.
Only 13 years ago his big-screen career was sinking fast. After a small role playing Captain Kirk’s father in the 2009 Star Trek reboot, things got so grim Chris fled south of Los Angeles and took refuge in the surf.
Even for his breakthrough role in Thor, Chris admits there was an element of luck. Younger brother Liam had made the short-list but not Chris. His manager William Ward, reportedly told producers: “You’ve got to reconsider Chris; he’s your guy.”
“It used to be ‘Oh God, there’s something wrong with me, I have all this doubt and all this fear and I have to get rid of it in order to do it properly. But then I noticed when I would feel 100 per cent confident, there wasn’t a motor driving me or there was something missing.
“That fear is the engine room to working that bit harder and being more disciplined.”
CHRIS HEMSWORTH’S BYRON HOME
In 2014, Chris and wife Elsa moved from Los Angeles to Byron Bay to raise their children. That resulted in a $7 million purchase of property near Seven Mile Beach. The actor has reportedly spent over $18 million developing his dream home. It features a game room, rooftop infinity pool, and a personal gym.
