Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth feared his only acting job would be a return to Australian soap Home And Away after his career stalled.
The actor, who eventually achieved huge success in the role of Thor, suffered a slump in fortunes after a small role in Star Trek, and worried that he would be forced to return to the small screen in his home country.
Hemsworth said his increasing anxiety and self-doubt affected his ability to act and audition, and his career began to falter.
He revealed it was only the determination to support his father that drove him through his period of anxiety to secure more acting roles.
Speaking to Men’s Health magazine, he said: “I was about to quit. I always wanted to act, and one of the first things I wanted to do when I got any money was to pay my parents’ house off.
“I was super-active with auditions. Then, during that eight-month period (in 2009), I became more and more anxious, to the point where I couldn’t harness or use that energy.
“It was all to my detriment. I was trying to convince myself I wasn’t nervous before auditions, rather than just grabbing hold of the part.
“I was at the stage of thinking ‘I’m going to go back to Australia. I’m going to knock on Home And Away’s door and ask them for a gig.'”
Hemsworth said it was his original motivation to succeed in Hollywood that drove him through this difficult period, and even beat his own brother Liam to land the role of Thor.
He said: “My mentality changed. It was right before Christmas. I had one more audition, and I just thought ‘Do this for Dad’s house. Think about reasons other than yourself.’
“That audition was for The Cabin In The Woods. I got the job, and from there I got Red Dawn. Then I got Thor.”
Read the full interview in the March issue of Men’s Health – on sale on Thursday January 31.
