Chris Hemsworth is shedding light on the personal decision that led him to step away from the Hollywood lifestyle and he’s calling it one of the best choices he’s ever made.
During a recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast with hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, the Thor star reflected on why he ultimately packed up his life in Los Angeles and moved his family back to Australia. According to Hemsworth, the shift came at a pivotal moment in his life.
“It was right around the time my boys were born, and it was just … we kind of were set up in L.A. and not enjoying it, you know? Like nothing was shooting there. We were filming kind of everywhere else,” he explained. He added that returning home after work in Los Angeles often meant dealing with unwanted attention. “And then … you’d come home and paparazzi and all the sort of the trappings of, you know, living in that space.”
Hemsworth, who shares three children with his wife Elsa Pataky, said the couple decided to relocate to Australia, settling on what he described as a “big farm.” The move, he said, offered their family more space and a calmer environment to raise their kids away from constant scrutiny.
The Extraction actor noted that the lifestyle change has completely reframed what “home” feels like for him. “You know, when you come back from work, you wanna go on a holiday? Like coming home for me is – it feels like a holiday. We have big farm and horses and motorbikes and surf,” Hemsworth said.
He also touched on his own upbringing, sharing that he and his brothers, Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth, grew up about 20 minutes outside of Melbourne a childhood filled with outdoor adventures that later helped shape his path into acting.
Hemsworth and Pataky first met in 2010 and married just three months after making their relationship official. Years later, the actor says leaving Los Angeles behind and returning to Australia remains his “greatest decision,” one that’s allowed him to prioritize family life while still pursuing his career.