Chris Hemsworth found copies of the APOE4 gene that significantly raises the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
In an interview with Esuquire, the 42-year-old actor remains healthy and is focused on staying physically and mentally strong; however, the threat feels more real after his father’s actual diagnosis with the neurodegenerative disease.
The Thor alum’s 71-year-old dad, Craig, has been diagnosed with the active form of Alzheimer’s and started experiencing memory loss.
The Thor actor initially learned about his genetic predisposition while filming the National Geographic series Limitless.
Notably, Hemsworth’s family decided to document this new chapter of his life as well following the diagnosis.
Their new hour-long documentary, A Road Trip to Remember, is slated to air on November 23 on NatGeo and then stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
Initially, the Star Trek’s artist was baffled about filming something so personal; however, his father remained enthusiastic and wanted to share the experience.
The diagnosis has pushed Hemsworth to live with greater awareness. His father’s struggles have reminded the actor that life can change within a blink of an eye.
He said that the biggest lesson has been avoiding the “comfort crisis,” the tendency to stay stuck in familiar routines.
Despite the fear surrounding Alzheimer’s, Hemsworth stated his father experienced it with remarkable acceptance, using it as motivation to cherish old memories and create more ones while he can.
