While working on the docuseries Limitless, Chris Hemsworth was given the opportunity to confront his mortality by taking several genetic tests. One of the tests revealed that the Thor star has a predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease, meaning he’s 8–10 times more likely to develop it than the average person.
Following the revelation, Hemsworth announced he’d be taking a temporary work hiatus to spend more time with his family. He explained that the memories he creates with his loved ones will ultimately be more important, as he’s terrified of the prospect of these moments eventually fading.
He said, “The idea that I won’t be able to remember the life I’ve experienced, or my wife, my kids — this is probably my biggest fear.”
Hemsworth’s wife, Elsa Pataky, showed him that he doesn’t have to go through it all by himself.
Pataky, Hemsworth’s wife of nearly 13 years and the mother of his three children, appeared in a special and emotional episode of Limitless. Hemsworth mentioned that he has a fear of aging, which was only further reinforced by his health discovery, so the show’s team came up with a plan.
Pataky was aged 50 years with the help of special VFX makeup to surprise her husband and capture his genuine reaction. She admitted that she felt really vulnerable and did not want Hemsworth to see her like this, but she went through with it anyway.
Hemsworth was told he was meeting an older fan at a dance event for seniors, but instead, he ended up face-to-face with his 87-year-old wife. The actor instantly recognized Pataky and even got teary-eyed.
The couple admitted that seeing such a dramatic change without the years naturally passing between them was very challenging.
Pataky told her husband, “I want to live those years with you. We need those memories.”
The emotional moment helped Hemsworth realize that growing older is a natural part of life. As long as he has the love of his life by his side, it feels far less frightening.
Hemsworth explained, “I think what is quite confronting is approaching that age on my own. What makes it less scary is having someone to experience it with, having people around you that you love — it makes me feel a lot more accepting.”
Ultimately, Pataky believes that even if her husband does develop Alzheimer’s, he won’t forget this moment. Even if one day he no longer recognizes her face, she hopes he will still remember the image of his wife as her older self.
Pataky shared, “I think this moment, we will remember forever. It was so deep, so unexpected. I felt safe. It was so beautiful.”
Do you know anyone with Alzheimer’s? Would you want to take the same test to find out how likely you are to develop it?