Topics: Australia, Chris Hemsworth, Mental Health, Film and TV, Celebrity, Health, Dementia, Disney, Disney Plus
When it comes to acting, Chris Hemsworth is no stranger to a challenge, having put his body through its paces for his high octane roles in films such as Thor, Extraction and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
However, one challenge the actor was completely unprepared for, was his father’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s.
Opening up about the devastating diagnosis in Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip to Remember, which recently dropped on Disney+ and Hulu, Chris lifted the lid on his dad's health battle and how the pair are learning to cope with it.
In the series, which is produced in collaboration with National Geographic, Chris and his dad Craig set off on a road trip across Australia in the hopes of forming a kind of reminiscence therapy.
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At the start of the series, the Thor actor revealed that Craig has ‘early-stage Alzheimer’s’ and the symptoms started in the ‘last two years’.
“It’s so easy to take our parents for granted,” began Chris in a particularly candid moment. “I feel I’ve been so busy I haven’t spent as much time with my dad as I would want to … and there was the diagnosis.
“He has early-stage Alzheimer’s and there’s definitely good days and bad days.”
Although the actual date of the diagnosis remains a mystery, Chris himself has previously expressed his concerns over developing the condition in the future after he was discovered to possess two copies of the APOE4 gene.
While the genes aren’t solely responsible for the development of the condition, people in possession of both copies have a significantly higher risk of developing the condition at an earlier age.
For the purposes of the documentary, Chris and Craig would be revisiting parts of Australia that hold a special significance for the Hemsworth family, including a former childhood home.
“I wanna do everything I can to help him so my dad and I are going on a road trip. It’s something we’ve been talking about for years,” Chris recalled. “Turns out the experience could help fight the disease. If it helps, fantastic. But I’m just looking forward to spending time with my dad.”
It was hoped that the trip could form a key part of reminiscence therapy for Craig, a therapeutic activity that encourages individuals, especially those with dementia, to talk about past experiences, memories, and life events using prompts that appeal to all senses.
The goal is to improve mood, boost self-esteem, reduce loneliness, and enhance cognitive function by connecting with long-term memories.
“My road trip with my dad is going to be a trip back into our past to exercise his memory in order to strengthen it,” Chris said in a voice-over.
This is particularly crucial, as Chris explained that sometimes his father appeared to forget how to do things he previously knew inside out.
Chris said: “It’s confronting and [a] really tough thing to navigate because it’s something about his personality that is … It’s not a stubbornness but there’s a route of how he does things.
“I’m not sure if he’s forgetting this or is he insisting on doing it this way. Or is this a symptom? I don’t know.”
The memory lapses even played out on screen, as Chris shared the ‘painful’ reality of watching his father suddenly forget where he was and who he was talking to – after reconnecting with an old friend.
The diagnosis has also taken a huge toll on Chris’ mom, Leonie, who emotionally revealed: “As a partner, it’s difficult because I want him to be the person that he was.”
She tearfully admitted: “I want that relationship. Sometimes I wake up in the middle [of the] night and it’s quite terrifying where it’s all going.”
And it was a fear shared by Craig himself, who heartbreakingly confessed to Chris that he was terrified of becoming a ‘burden’ and losing contact with the people he loves.
Thankfully, Chris was able to put his fears to rest and assured his dad that he wasn’t and would never become a burden, with the pair poignantly sharing ‘I love yous’ at the end of the trip.
It is approximated that more than six million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common type of dementia.
More than 55 million people have dementia worldwide and this number is expected to ‘almost double’ every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.
If you've been affected by dementia or Alzheimer's and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact the Alzheimer's Association via 800.272.3900 open 24 hours seven days a week.
