Chris Hemsworth recently discovered he was genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s disease later in life during his new Disney+ series Limitless.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Thor actor, 39, revealed his grandfather suffers from the illness and doesn’t ‘remember much anymore’.
He went on to say he hadn’t seen his grandad ‘in a few years’ and that his mother kept him up to speed on his health and ‘joyful’ demeanour.
‘I haven’t seen him in a few years, but my other family members have and there’s some days where he’s quite joyful and gives you a big hug,’ the Marvel movie star said.
‘But my mum was saying he’s just a really friendly guy. I’m not sure he actually remembers much anymore and he slips in and out of Dutch, which is his original language.
‘So he’ll be talking Dutch and English and then a mash-up and then maybe some other new words as well.’
After having bloodwork done for his new health and fitness show, he was informed he is ‘between eight and 10 times’ likelier to develop Alzheimer’s than the general population, because he is one of only two to three percent of people with two copies of the gene APOE4.
Playing on Chris’ stardom through superhero movies, Limitless follows him as he pushes up against the boundaries of what his body can do.
He will be seen on the Disney+ program pursuing various physical goals, such as what Variety reports was 18kg of weight gain for a Thor film.
There are evidently a number of steps that people in his position can take to reduce their level of risk, such as ensuring they get a good night’s sleep, curbing their alcohol intake and cutting out cigarettes, according to the CDC.
As a result, Chris reacted to the news of his own predisposition to Alzheimer’s by cultivating a healthier lifestyle.
As for how he coped emotionally, ‘very quickly it became a self deprecating sort of joke, if you will. It’s just the way I am, my family, there’s a sense of humour’.
Even during his interview, he joked that his predisposition to Alzheimer’s has become his ‘excuse’ whenever anything slips his mind.
He said with a laugh that since learning the results of his bloodwork ‘I feel like my memory’s getting worse. It’s a placebo effect – or it’s taking place!’
