Spotlight On: Chris Hemsworth

In a short time, this Aussie actor who made a name for himself in television before making the leap to the big screen has amassed an impressive film resume. Known primarily for playing Marvel’s God of Thunder, Thor, Hemsworth headlines 'In the Heart of the Sea,' battling storms, starvation and a sperm whale in this based-on-a-true-story adventure. Now let's look at his great movies.

As George Kirk, Hemsworth plays the father of future Enterprise Captain, James T. Kirk, in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of the franchise. Hemsworth anchors the film’s action-packed opening sequence with a very heartfelt performance, where his character sacrifices himself to save not just his crew, but also his wife and soon-to-be-born son. 

In this violent thriller, Hemsworth’s getaway is anything but perfect as he and his girlfriend are framed for a murder they didn’t commit. 

Starring as the titular Marvel hero, Hemsworth launched both a franchise and his leading man career with this blockbuster. The only thing more impressive than his biceps is Hemsworth’s comic timing, which director Kenneth Branagh takes advantage of in between all the kick-punching. 

When Hemsworth and friends head off to a cabin in the woods, humor – and horror – ensue, in this genre-bending slasher film co-written by Joss Whedon. Filmmed before 'Thor,' Hemsworth’s role as an unconventional jock helped put him on Marvel’s radar -- and the rest is history. 

This time, Thor teams up with fellow Marvel heroes Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow to save the world from Loki and his army of aliens. ‘The Avengers’ reunited Hemsworth with ‘Cabin in the Woods’ filmmaker, Joss Whedon.  

Playing the Huntsman to Kristen Stewart’s Snow White, Hemsworth is ordered to kill her, but instead joins forces with her to fight the Evil Queen. The in-development sequel will center on the further adventures of Hemsworth’s anti-hero. Looks like he has a third franchise under his belt. 

In this remake of the ‘80s Cold War film, Hemsworth plays a U.S. Marine on leave when North Koreans suddenly and unexpectedly attack his home town. ‘Red Dawn’ sat on a shelf for years, ultimately released after Hemsworth’s star became more bankable with the help of his Marvel ties. 

Hemsworth went Method actor and dropped 30 lbs. for his role as real-life Formula-1 driver James Hunt in Ron Howard’s underrated drama. The weight loss was necessary in order for the muscular star to fit inside the confined space of the film’s race cars. 

In this hit sequel, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) once again returns to make life hard for big brother Thor. The film’s most exciting set piece pits Hemsworth’s wary hero and the main villain in an inventive battle that takes place across several worlds. 

The director of ‘Heat,’ Michael Mann, enlists Hemsworth to play a hacker in this gritty thriller. When the Feds need help stopping a dangerous cyber terrorist, who better to call on than Thor?