When actor Chris Hemsworth, who played Thor in the Marvel series, agreed to join a documentary exploring longevity several years ago, he figured he would learn about how to live better so that he could live longer. But he never anticipated he would find out something that could dramatically affect what those future years could look like.
In the documentary series Limitless, released in 2022 by National Geographic, Hemsworth took a battery of tests to learn what he could do to extend his healthy years. A genetic test revealed, however, that he has two copies of the risk gene for Alzheimer’s. While the genes aren’t a guarantee he will develop the neurodegenerative disease, carriers have an eight to 10-fold higher risk.
The diagnosis wasn’t a total surprise; Hemsworth’s grandfather had the condition, and his father Craig is living with it as well. While Hemsworth hasn’t developed any symptoms yet, his father is showing the first signs of memory loss. In a new National Geographic documentary film called A Road Trip to Remember, he and his father explore the growing science around potential interventions for the brain disease, and ways that research is showing to slow down its progression. The hope is that these could help people at higher risk stay as healthy and resilient for as long as possible.
Since learning of his genetic risk, Hemsworth has made changes to his life, slowing down his acting career to prioritize time with his family, as well as taking steps to keep his body and mind healthy. Sharing his elevated risk status is part of his response to the life-changing news; in a 2022 Vanity Fair interview, he said, “If this is a motivator for people to take better care of themselves and also understand that there are steps you can take—then fantastic.”
In the latest film, Hemsworth focuses on a side of Alzheimer’s care that doesn’t typically receive the spotlight: the role that diet, exercise, sleep, and staying socially active can have on the…
