Chris Hemsworth explains why he left Hollywood for Byron Bay

Opening up in this month’s issue of GQ, on sale May 11, the Avengers star said living in the showbiz epicentre was proving too intense as his career and superstar status began to take off.

He and Spanish actress Elsa Pataky had been living in LA for years, but in 2014, when Hemsworth had begun filming the second Avengers film, Age of Ultron, they bought their sprawling hilltop property for $7 million.

Now, it’s hard to imagine the hunky Aussie moviestar, who is often seen chilling out on the beach with his three children and dog Sunny, or carving up the surf with his actor brother Liam, living anywhere else.

RELATED: Chris Hemsworth’s cheeky comment promoting new film

RELATED: Hemsworth explains ‘complicated’ reason Elsa hasn’t taken his name

“You’re a little bit too much in the eye of the storm when you’re living in Hollywood,” he said of the move.

“Living in Australia, it’s also easier to detach myself from work – and you get a bit more leeway to let a few emails and phone calls slide on by.”

Last month, Hemsworth admitted to feeling “suffocated” by his career while still living in Los Angeles.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the 36-year-old star said he grew tired of constantly being surrounded by billboards of himself and never switching off from his projects.

“When you're suffocated by the work, every conversation that you're having and every billboard you're seeing is to do with a movie or whatever around the industry. You lose perspective,” he told the publication.

The father to India, seven, and six-year-old twin boys Tristan and Sasha added: “There's not a single person there (Byron Bay) that I interact with, or close friends of mine, that are really in the industry and so that's hugely refreshing.”

Similarly, speaking to OK! Magazine earlier this year, Hemsworth said living in Hollywood meant “you just kind of lose touch with reality”.

“You go from press tours and work, and then straight back into reality and you're handed a child with a nappy,” he said.

“I love what I do as an actor … but it's nice to be a part of a community that doesn't live and breathe that world.”

Like the rest of Australia, the Hemsworth brood are riding COVID-19 lockdown out at home, with Hemsworth admitting they’re “very fortunate” to be in the situation they’re in.

Although he did add he’s struggling with his home teaching duties, much like many parents in the same boat.

“We’re here at home and attempting to homeschool the kids, which is a feat in itself. They’re better students than I am a teacher, to be honest,” he said.
 

As the shutdown hit, Hemsworth was in the middle of filming National Geographic series Limitless, in which he would endure a range of mental and physical challenges with the aim of living longer.

He was also set to promote Extraction, a movie he filmed back in 2018.

But he said he’s quite happy to have a bit of a break.

“I’ve spent probably 15 years in what felt like a marathon, a constant workload,” he said.

“So much of my energy has been geared towards that, and then having kids at the same time, I’ve been constantly trying to find the balance. I’ve really yearned for more stillness and felt a definite need to slow down.

“Not having a schedule in front of me has made me reposition my values and what’s important, and I think most people are having those kinds of thoughts right now.”

GQ Australia May June 2020 is on sale Monday 11 May