There comes a time in every actor's career where he gets the perfect role. Be it from his own physical appearance to his exact mannerisms, there's a character out there from him just waiting to be portrayed. And when the casting is so good, it makes watching the film all the more fulfilling. In recent years, there've been many cases of such, but none more satisfying than Chris Hemsworth as Thor.
But in "Thor: Ragnarok," suddenly Hemsworth's approach with the character was completely different. Beyond the loss of his glorious sunshine locks, his demeanor changed as well. Though still powerful, he was no longer that austere figure that loomed over the other characters. Suddenly he was playful, smiley, and most shockingly, comical. And while audiences still enjoyed him, this new 'Thor' that Hemsworth was playing was far from the serious character in the first few films. Yet, he was embraced, beloved even, by old and new fans who now had a new character to laugh with.
Perhaps what was most surprising about this 'transformation,' is how it perfectly suited the macho Australian actor. Apart from his Marvel works, his most famous films to date were the "Huntsman" movies. He was also so brooding and charismatic in "Snow White and The Huntsman" that we also to get his autograph on that poster as well. Here, he was very much like the old Thor: mysterious, slightly quiet, yet endlessly appealing. This and its sequel, "The Huntsman: Winter's War," were arguably the last few instances of the old Hemsworth seducing audiences on screen. Now, he's making them laugh out loud.
Hemsworth's role as the dumb assistant to Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig in the 2016 remake of "The Ghostbusters" was a sort of revelation. With precise comedic timing and the right amount of slapstick humor, this once heroic stud became a happy hunk for movie lovers to enjoy. He was still attractive, handsome, and sexy, but now he was charming, approachable, and extremely funny. How did the guy become famous playing an all-imposing Norse god become such a comical figure? Who knows? Maybe Hemsworth has had that funny bone deep inside him all along?
Either way, this new cinematic persona perfectly suits him. Arguably, he's even better at it now than he was before with his archetypal serious characterizations. He surprisingly provided much comical relief in the last two Avengers movies, "Infinity War" and "Endgame". And his latest role as 'Agent H' in the "Men In Black" remake was perfectly cast and well-acted. It's almost strange seeing him do so well as a comical actor, and while he's no Robin Williams or Steve Martin, he's doing well enough on his own.
The reason, perhaps, as to why the Australian actor was able to transition so well from doing serious characters to funny ones is that deep-down, he's always been a funny guy. Sure, when he's promoting or acting in the Marvel movies, he seems to be the mysterious type. But looking upon his social media. where he often posts about spending time with his family, it makes a lot more sense. Even when he's invited for gags in talk shows and such, he's always game to joke around or be the butt of the joke.
He shines just as bright on screen as a happy-go-lucky character as he does as an all-important god or brave huntsman. And in fact, a lot of people even prefer him as the former than the latter. Isn't it more interesting to see an actor with supermodel-looks acting all goofy and comical on-screen? Sure, he can still set it up for the ladies (and men) in some films, but if he surges on with this new direction, he's bound to become another comedy superstar the likes of which have never been seen before!
He's even expressed an interest in appearing in "Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3," and if he manages to upstage Chris Pratt's incredibly funny Star-Lord, Hemsworth might just be the new comedy king of the movies!
