Now it’s big brother Luke Hemsworth’s turn
He is the Hemsworth who led the way into acting — and now it’s big brother Luke’s turn for a starring role.
Confidential
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LUKE Hemsworth is the encouraging older brother many of us could have done with having.
And, it seems, he could also be credited with inspiring two of our biggest acting exports to get into the art.
He may have been the first to try acting but his mega-famous younger brothers, Chris, 34, and Liam, 28, have taken much of the spotlight, until now.
The actor and elder Hemsworth, 37, is currently starring in the second season of Westworld, the hit TV series adaptation of the cult 1973 sci-fi film where humans seek to fulfil their darker desires at a purpose-built, robot filled amusement park — until the machines turn.
To recap the Hemsworth mythology, Luke was the first to try acting, starring in Neighbours in 2001 as Nathan Tyson.
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He opened the door for Chris and Liam to follow in their big brother’s footsteps and they did, quite literally, for Liam on Neighbours, while Chris starred on Seven’s Home And Away. Some years later, though, the tables have turned. Chris is an internationally famous A-lister, his name synonymous with Marvel superhero Thor, while Liam made his name in another blockbuster franchise, The Hunger Games.
So does Luke still feel like the big brother in the family?
He pauses. “Sometimes, but Chris’ wealth of knowledge in terms of the (entertainment) industry, just because he is very prolific and has been involved in parts of it on a much greater level … I mean, bigger, if that’s the right word, so I definitely talk to him about that stuff,” he tells BW Magazine.
He smiles, adding: “But sometimes the ego comes in and says, ‘You know better!’
“With Liam, I just smack him around. We wrestle all the time,” he says with a laugh.
“But we all have a very good relationship. We bounce ideas off each other all the time and we’re always going backwards and forwards about what we should be doing and what we’re not doing.”
As with all siblings, comparisons are inevitable, and the older Hemsworth is sanguine about it.
An actor with less confidence might deal with the fame factor differently but this one is easygoing and self-effacing.
“In a way it’s hard that my brothers are so well-known because (for me) there’s a level that you have to hit. But, certainly, there were doors that opened for me too, definitely.”
He pauses again, then continues: “I think there’s a stigma about three boys who are all actors in as far as, what is unique about each one? And how do I find what is unique about me?
“That is a question that I ask a lot: How do I actually differentiate myself from them?”
Has he found the answer?
“Well, by doing character stuff, maybe,” he says.
“I am figuring it out as I go but I’m very serious about doing good work.”
Don’t be a dickhead. Just be a good dude
His good work as security officer Ashley Stubbs on Westworld has indeed brought him rave reviews. He lives by a pretty simple philosophy.
“Don’t be a dickhead,” he says, with a shrug. “That’s a pretty good motto. Just be a good dude.”
The philosophy is working for him and he is, famously, not a dickhead and about the furthest thing from it.
Further inquiries of his Westworld cast members confirm he has indeed accomplished this goal. He knows it too and nods. “True. I didn’t become a dickhead,” he says.
Earlier in the day, his co-stars Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood had expounded about the #metoo and Time’s Up movements.
Given that Luke is a father of three daughters — Holly, 10, Ella, 7, and Harper, 6 — with wife of 11 years Samantha, is he fully on board with the sentiments?
He chooses his words carefully.
“When people are vociferous about this subject, it’s very easy to put a foot wrong. So, I am wholeheartedly behind being fair and equal and respectful. I want my kids to grow up in a world where they are not threatened and they don’t feel used.”
Growing up in a testosterone-laden household, you’d be forgiven for thinking his attitude might have been different. He shakes his head.
“Our mum was very heavily involved in teaching us about women’s rights. She was a hard lady. And my dad, who spent a better part of his life protecting kids (as a social services counsellor) was too. So, I hope that I can stand with these women, and not be a dickhead.”
There’s no denying the Hemsworths are a close-knit unit, despite all being scattered between the US and Australia.
And growing up, they had a bit of a gypsy existence moving around various parts of Australia due to their parent’s work.
“I was born in Melbourne, but I feel like a gypsy,” Luke told The Daily Telegraph in 2015.
“I grew up a lot in the Northern Territory — in the heart of iron land, in the middle of nowhere, in a tiny place called Bulman.
“My parents started off catching buffalo and fixing fences, and then they ended up running the little store in Bulman, where we were one of only two white families.
“Chris and I went to school there before we went back to Victoria and then back to the Northern Territory and then came back and moved to Phillip Island.”
These days, they take any opportunity to get together, with their parents often making the trek to California, where Liam and Luke are both based.
“My parents come over a lot because they both retired a while ago now. Sometimes I’ll be like, ‘Come and look after the kids for a week! Me and Sam want to go on a holiday.’ They love it and it’s great for the kids.”
But while life is great for Luke in California, his heart remains in Australia where he would love to relocate when work allows.
“Look, it’s great here. I go surfing as much as I can. In the morning, I’ll drop the kids off at school, I have the boards in the car and so I’ll check out the waves. If they’re good, I’ll go and surf. I’m doing a lot of motorcycling as well, which I love.
“We have a lot of Australians coming around and we have a lot of parties.
“But I would love to go back and live close to Chris, maybe in Byron Bay.
“It’s beautiful there and mum and dad are there and I definitely see us moving back at one stage.”
What are the chances of Liam following suit?
“That’s a little different because his girl (Miley Cyrus) is an American and all her family is here. But my wife, Sam, is a Kiwi, so we’d be closer to her family.”
For now though, his career comes first.
“I need to stay here and keep riding this train for a while … see where this path leads.”
He rises out of his chair to head back to his oceanfront home, 30 minutes away.
As he says goodbye with a huge smile, Hemsworth has one more thing to share.
“I have a new philosophy,” he offers, “that which hinders your task is your task.’’
It’s a line by famed late acting coach Sanford Meisner.
“It’s genius.”
Westworld, 8.30pm, Monday, on showcase and streaming on Foxtel On Demand and Foxel Now.