Chris Hemsworth has built a career portraying some of cinema’s most physically imposing characters. He has trained in martial arts and sparred for years as he prepared for physically demanding roles. His commitment to fitness is no secret, with the actor often performing intense stunt work and constantly transforming his body for different characters.
While promoting his upcoming thriller, Hemsworth appeared in an interview alongside Academy Award winner Halle Berry. Berry, who starred in the MMA drama Bruised, spoke about how much she admires the sport, and Hemsworth quickly revealed he’s just as big a fan.
When asked about his favorite MMA stars, Hemsworth didn’t hesitate.
“George St-Pierre, I love,” he said, praising the former UFC champion. “He’s one of the all-time greats, but seems like a gentleman with an intelligent soul as well.”
Hemsworth also gave a shoutout to fellow Australian UFC star Alexander Volkanovski, calling him both a champion and a friend.
The conversation soon turned playful when Hemsworth was asked who he’d want as an ideal opponent if he ever competed professionally.
“One of the ones who retired a long time ago,” he joked. “I could just run away from them until they get tired and then [motions a punch].”
However, Hemsworth then admitted there’s a serious part of him that wants to test himself.
“A part of me wants to have an MMA fig ht,” he said. “I’ve trained a lot and sparred a lot over the years, but within the realm of not k**ling each other.”
Still, he remains realistic about what would happen if he actually stepped into the cage.
“I’d love to just one day go, ‘Right, what have I got here?’” Hemsworth added. “I’d probably end up flat on my back, starry-eyed.”
In an appearance on Theo Von’s podcast, the actor shared an unsettling story from roughly 15 years ago, when he picked up a hitchhiker in Vancouver.
What began as a simple good deed quickly turned uncomfortable as the stranger started asking invasive personal questions: where Hemsworth was staying, what he was doing in town, and other details that raised alarm bells.
In the moment, Hemsworth’s instinct was to try and establish dominance verballyh.
“I immediately start kind of… filling in sort of, yeah I just do heaps of martial arts and a lot of jiu-jitsu and a big background in boxing,” Hemsworth recalled, adding that he began telling exaggerated “fig ht stories” to see if it would deter the situation.
Fortunately, the trick worked and he was safe.
