Chris Hemsworth to take a step back from acting after shock diagnosis

He will be taking a 'good chunk of time off'

Whilst the Australian actor won't be retiring, he has decided to lessen his workload in the coming years following the news.

He currently has four projects in the works - including an upcoming Avengers sequel where he returns as his character Thor, and an untitled biopic about wrestling icon Hulk Hogan.

But a source told Page Six his schedule is looking clear beyond these films, saying: "He doesn't plan to take on many roles because of [learning about his high risk for] Alzheimer's."

In an interview with Vanity Fair last year, Hemsworth revealed he would be taking a "good chunk of time off" after discovering he is “eight to 10 times more likely” to develop Alzheimer's disease.

He made the discovery whilst filming Disney+ docu-series 'Limitless' which saw the actor exploring different ways humans can live longer and healthier lives.

The Thor star explained that he underwent a test that showed he had two copies of the gene APOE4, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

He said: “They took all my blood-work and did a bunch of tests and the plan was to on-camera tell me all the results and then talk about how you can improve this and that.

“And Peter Attia, who is the longevity doctor in that episode, and overseeing a lot of the show, called [Limitless creator] Darren [Aronofsky] and said, ‘I don’t want to tell him this on camera. We need to have an off-side conversation and see if he even wants this to be in the show.’

“It was pretty shocking because he called me up and he told me.”

The series producers apparently offered to cut the scene about Hemsworth’s diagnosis out of respect for his privacy, but he insisted that they leave it in as a “motivator” to others.

He continued: “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.”

He then said he is “eight to 10 times more likely” to have Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

There is a history of Alzheimer’s in his family as well, with Hemsworth’s grandfather suffering from the disease.

In the final episode of the series, Hemsworth looks at the topic of end-of-life care, and interviews people who work in palliative care.

Being involved in the show made him realise that he wants to spend more time with his family.

He explained: “It really triggered something in me to want to take some time off.

“And since we finished the show, I’ve been completing the things I was already contracted to do. Now when I finish this tour this week, I’m going home and I’m going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify. Be with the kids, be with my wife."

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