Chris Hemsworth opened up about the emotional and professional dilemma he faced before revealing his genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease. He acknowledged that he was afraid the revelation would permanently alter how the viewers saw him as a Hollywood action hero. He told The Guardian:“I wondered if I was letting people too far in.” He continued:“Are they no longer going to believe in the action star or the Marvel character? And do I want people to know my fears and insecurities to this level?”Speaking to reporters on the Crime 101 press tour, Hemsworth stated that deciding to go public was difficult since it required disclosing vulnerabilities and anxieties that he had previously kept hidden. He wondered if being so transparent would make his on-screen personalities less plausible, especially his continuing role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.In 2022, Hemsworth revealed his genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease on the Disney+ documentary series Limitless, where doctors informed him he had two copies of the APOE4 gene. According to studies, this gene increases a person's chance of Alzheimer's by eight to ten times when compared to an ordinary person.The news hit Hemsworth hard as several generations of his family have already been impacted by Alzheimer's. Hemsworth's grandfather had the condition, and now, since November 2025, Hemsworth's father is also battling it. Chris Hemsworth's fear of stigmaChris Hemsworth also had a concern about the reaction of the film industry, whether they would perceive him as fragile and perhaps not reliable once his supposedly higher level of risk was out there.When he revealed it back in 2022, he said:“It’s not like I’ve been handed my resignation. It’s not a pre-deterministic gene, but it is a strong indication. Ten years ago, I think it was more thought of as determinant.”Chris Hemsworth has spoken out against headlines that framed his revelation as a “death sentence” or suggested that he was retiring back in 2024. He emphasizes that this is not a diagnosis and that decisions about lifestyle, prevention, and advances play a big role in what is going to happen next:“It really kind of pissed me off because it felt like I had been vulnerable with something personal and shared this. No matter how much I said ‘This is not a death sentence,’ the story became that I have dementia and I’m reconsidering life and retiring and so on.”Slowing down and rethinking successChris Hemsworth disclosed that his priorities have changed as a result of his father's condition. Hemsworth claimed that his "appetite for racing forward" had diminished, despite his previous reputation for pursuing momentum and large-scale franchises:“My appetite for racing forward has really been reined in. I’ve become more aware of the fragility of things. You start thinking, ‘My dad won’t be here for ever.’”His children, who are now approaching adolescence, have made Chris Hemsworth more conscious of the fleeting nature of family moments.:“And my kids are now 11 and 13. Those nights where they’d fight over sleeping in our bed, suddenly they’re not happening any more.”He concluded: “I’d think, ‘I came from nothing. Who am I to turn down that kind of money?’ Justifying things that weren’t the purest creative decision, but I’ll be able to pay for my parents’ house, or I’ll be able to help out my cousins.”In 2025, Chris Hemsworth released a documentary titled A Road Trip to Remember, which is about his father's battle with Alzheimer's disease. He stated that the movie was a love letter that helped bring back memories that were gradually fading:“It was so deeply personal. It was a love letter to my father. It empowered him for a period, and stimulated memories that were being taken away from him.”Chris Hemsworth will be seen on Crime 101, which premieres in theaters on February 13 from Amazon MGM. He will be reprising his role as the god of thunder, Thor, in Avengers: Doomsday, which releases on December 18. Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.