Liam Hemsworth: From A Childhood In Australia To Becoming A Hollywood Star
The Hemsworth brothers stop at nothing when it comes to making headlines in Tinseltown. In 2014, People named "Home and Away" actor Chris Hemsworth the sexiest man alive. The title sparked an industrywide debate, with outlets such as Entertainment Tonight holding the opinion that the wrong Hemsworth had been chosen. The publication eventually redeemed itself by adding brother Liam Hemsworth to its 2015 class of sexiest men alive.
Of course, looks aren't the only thing Liam brings to the table. The actor is as talented as he is an eye candy. He's been hard at work since his 2007 appearance on "McLeod's Daughters" as Damo, and has several award nominations and wins to show for it.
Though Hemsworth seemed to be skyrocketing at an alarming speed over the years, his world came crashing in 2018 when the Woolsey fire in California brought down the home he once shared with his ex-wife Miley Cyrus. Speaking to Men's Health in 2020, Hemsworth, who was in a restructuring mood, said, "I'm really tough. I can take anything." No truer words have been spoken. Hemsworth's slow rise to claiming Hollywood royalty is well documented. Here's how it happened.
His childhood nickname was Triple Six
As a child, Liam Hemsworth was fondly referred to as "Triple Six" by his uncles. This number, known to be the devil's according to Hemsworth's appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," was one that came about because he was a stubborn child. "They said that they tried to exorcise me at one point but it didn't work," Hemsworth hilariously narrated, much to Fallon's delight.
Now that Hemsworth is on the other side of the spectrum (he's an uncle), he has a hard time keeping up with duties that come with it. The apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have three children, per People, while Luke and Samantha Hemsworth have an energetic bunch of four. "I love hanging out with my nieces. They're crazy little kids. Chris' kids are, yeah, he's got twins, so, you know. That's a whole thing in itself, [they're] little nutcases," Liam voiced during an appearance on "The Project" (via Daily Mail).
His brother Luke would agree, since he sometimes has it rough playing dad and wants to get away from his own children, if his interview with Daily Telegraph is anything to go by.
The Hemsworth brothers fought a lot
Liam Hemsworth's parents had a tough time raising him and his brothers because of their belligerent nature. According to Hemsworth's appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," not even babysitters could stay with the trio for an extended period of time. "There was a time when my mom and dad went away and my brother and Luke [and] myself ... stayed with my grandpa and grandpa, and then Chris had to stay with our uncle 'cause we were just too much trouble," narrated Liam.
In some instances, weapons were involved, as Hemsworth recalled during an interview with "Conan." His grandfather birthed the not-so-brilliant idea of handing his already mischievous grandkid a throwing knife, and his brother Chris Hemsworth was the target. "There's kitchen knives but this one is made specifically to stick into things when you throw 'em," Liam recollected. Lucky for Chris, only the knife's handle found its way to his head.
In a separate interview with "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Luke Hemsworth confirmed that the fighting did not stop when they were children. Asked whether they got physical, he said, " Every chance I could, and I still do."
He fell in love with movies at a young age
Early in his life, Liam Hemsworth knew that a regular work routine wasn't going to cut it. Come hell or high water, he was going to be in the film industry. "From a young age I wanted to make movies because I simply loved movies. It never made sense to me to go off and do the standard 9-5 job in something I didn't enjoy," Hemsworth let out in an interview with Lane magazine. In many ways, he owes his success to the burning passion that has helped him sustain his career to date, but along the way, other interesting pursuits have shown up.
Hemsworth's former father-in-law, Billy Ray Cyrus, revealed through a conversation with Entertainment Tonight that the "Love and Honor" actor, would, in another life, give Picasso a run for his money. "I'll tell you something you don't know about him though: he's a great artist," said Cyrus. According to the "Busy Man" singer, Hemsworth had a collection of 1,500 paintings in his house during a visit and was surprisingly modest about his hidden talent.
He left Australia when he was 19
Liam Hemsworth grew up on Phillip Island, an isolated Australian marvel famed for being the home of the country's Motorcycle Grand Prix. When his brothers paved the way in acting — a craft he was already drawn to — Hemsworth found inspiration and set his sights on Hollywood, per Men's Health. At 19, he left for Los Angeles, California, and it took him three months to land his first job. Hemsworth's inaugural role on television was on a 2007 episode of "Home and Away."
Although he left his hometown and was gone for a long time, the "Killerman" actor's Australian roots were always intact. As a gesture that he was always welcome home, Hemsworth's parents acquired a three-bedroom $1.6 million-dollar bachelor's haven for him, according to an exclusive 2013 report by E! News. The house, per the publication, offered a scenic view of the ocean and made for good rest in between shooting films.
Liam Hemsworth broke out in The Last Song
Liam Hemsworth's big break in the acting industry came when he portrayed the role of Will Blakelee in "The Last Song" alongside his would-be wife, Miley Cyrus. The 2010 release earned fairly positive reviews, with renowned film critic Roger Ebert writing of Hemsworth's appearance: "I suspect Hemsworth may have been cast for his appeal to fangirls, rather like Robert Pattinson in 'Twilight.' He's a little too tall, blonde, blue-eyed and hunky to be super plausible."
Regardless of Ebert's sentiments, Hemsworth was all but a feast for the eyes, at least to those in casting. In a sit-down with Moviefone's "Unscripted," alongside his co-star, Cyrus, he revealed that he had to go through coaching to appeal to the American audience. "I did a lot of work with an accent coach to get rid of [my Australian accent]," He said. Unfortunately for Hemsworth, his accent wasn't the only thing that needed polishing. He'd told a white lie.
Playing volleyball proved to be a Herculean task, one which he had to put hours in to master, based on an interview with Collider. "Volleyball was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," the actor declared, despite giving the impression during casting that he was already good at the game.
He's since carved a high-paying stellar career
Soon after his industry breakthrough, Liam Hemsworth landed a number of high-profile roles, including that of Gale Hawthorne in "The Hunger Games," in which he plays Katniss Everdeen's (Jennifer Lawrence) love interest. As he rose up the ranks, so did his acting fee. While the exact amount Hemsworth earned for "The Hunger Games" is not known to the public, The Hollywood Reporter announced that his co-star Jennifer Lawrence was eyeing a $10 million payout for the show's sequel. Forbes further featured Hemsworth and his then-girlfriend Miley Cyrus in its 2013 Top Grossing Romantic Couples list, estimating their earnings at $63 million.
In 2016, Hemsworth portrayed the character Jake Morrison in "Independence Day: Resurgence," a sequel to the 1996 original "Independence Day." The film bombed at the box office during its United States opening (via Variety), which could have meant a good or bad payday for Hemsworth, depending on the kind of deal he negotiated. Vanity Fair demystified Hollywood salaries, placing a role such as that of Morrison in a $10-$20 million pay bracket, similar to the figure Mark Wahlberg earned ($17 million) for his lead role in "Transformers Age of Extinction."
Liam Hemsworth almost portrayed Thor
While Liam Hemsworth's brother, Chris Hemsworth has gained notoriety for his portrayal of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's fascinating to learn that Liam missed the chance by a whisker. "I came into the audition with Kenneth Branagh and thought I nailed it and then never heard anything back," Chris detailed during an interview with W Magazine. "Months went by and then my brother, my little brother, Liam, was in Australia and sent a tape across and he got a call back, then another call back and then was down to the last kind of four or five people for it."
Lucky for Chris, the acting gods so happened to be on his side, and "Thor" managed a 2011 release as part of the first phase of the MCU, featuring an all-star cast including Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, and Kat Dennings. From Chris' conversation with "MensXP," he is not entirely opposed to the idea of going head to head with Liam as a Thor variant. "My little brother almost got cast as Thor, he was one of the first people that got right down to the wire on getting the part, so, I could cross paths with him. That'll be fun!"
Which director's work does he admire the most?
Having been in the acting sphere for a hot minute, Liam Hemsworth has obviously developed a number of preferences. Of directors that rank high on his list, New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi takes the trophy home. "Every single film he makes I absolutely love. His sense of storytelling is incredible," Hemsworth expressed in an interview with Lane magazine. "No one does comedy like he does. Not only do his films make you laugh but they often make you cry."
Not only has the Academy Award-winning director found a collaborator in Chris Hemsworth, with whom he has worked on "Thor," Liam considers him family, too. In a conversation with People, Waititi and Chris revealed that their children were involved in creating monsters for "Thor: War and Thunder."
Of other favorites in the acting industry, Liam is quite a romantic comedy fan, with a liking for movies such as "10 Things I Hate About You" and "Clueless," as he revealed in a talk with Today.
He became friends with other celebrities
Liam Hemsworth tends to keep close to family and is hardly ever photographed in the company of other celebrities. There have however been some exceptions in the past, like the time he and some friends (including James Marsden from "The Notebook") accrued a $3,800 bill at a New York sports bar, per E! News.
"American Gods" actor Ricky Whittle thinks of Hemsworth as family. In an emotional Instagram post, penned in October 2022, Whittle, who was shooting "Land of Bad" alongside Hemsworth wrote in part: "Seriously though, I can not speak more highly of my lil bro. He has and is everything and I would protect this gentle giant with my life. Sometimes people cross your path to remind you of the good people in this world." Similarly, Hemsworth shares an amazing friendship with his "The Hunger Games" co-star, Jennifer Lawrence. How far does the friendship go, you may ask? Hemsworth carried Lawrence's purse while walking The Great Wall of China, as he recalled during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
As far as the title of best friend goes, none warms the heart of Hemsworth more than his dog Dora, who's made appearances on his Instagram one too many times. "Good god I love this dog," one of his captions reads.
He took eating healthy a bit too far
Liam Hemsworth spots a fit physique that is a result of years of exercise, some of which he's shared with his fans on Instagram. Speaking to Men's Journal, Hemsworth admitted to having an intense routine that involved very little weight work. "I don't bench-press or anything like that. And especially over the past five months of being vegan, all my stuff is really high-intensity body-weight workouts like burpees and pushups and pullups and dips, " he said.
Hemsworth had been inspired to go vegan because he learned of the brutality animals went through, and was partially influenced by his "Hunger Games" co-star, Woody Harrelson. He may have overdone his indulgence in greens since a medical mishap landed him on a surgeon's table.
"Well, my particular kidney stone was a calcium-oxalate kidney stone. It forms from having too much oxalate in your diet," Hemsworth narrated in an interview with Men's Health. "Oxalates are really high in a lot of vegetables, specifically spinach, almonds, beetroot, potatoes," he further explained. The experience forced him to reexamine what he thought of as a healthy diet.
Liam Hemsworth dated, married, and divorced Miley Cyrus
Since their meeting on the set of "The Last Song," Liam Hemsworth had an on-again, off-again relationship with co-star Miley Cyrus which culminated in a 2018 wedding. Cyrus shared photos of their secret wedding in since-deleted Instagram posts, per Harper's Bazaar.
In August 2019, it was reported that Hemsworth had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences with the "Party in the USA" singer (via AP News). The news was further confirmed by Hemsworth, who partially wrote via Instagram: "Hi all Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward."
In a series of tweets, Cyrus refuted claims that their decision to go separate ways was because of infidelity on her part. By January 2020, their marriage was history, according to AP News. She would later show up on "The Howard Stern Podcast" and own up to writing the song "WTF Do I Know" about Hemsworth, affirming Jada Pinkett Smith's warning that change does influence relationships and friendship amongst couples is more important, per People.
He has great news for fans of The Witcher
Netflix's "The Witcher" is only in its second season, as of this writing. It was announced through a tweet that the show's third season began filming in April 2022, and is set for a Summer 2023 release date, per Cosmopolitan.
Only two seasons in, the show's fourth season is already making headlines. Through Instagram, Liam Hemsworth announced that he would be replacing Henry Cavill as its lead protagonist. "As a Witcher fan I'm over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia," Hemsworth wrote in part. "Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I'm honored that he's handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf's blades for the next chapter of his adventure, " he expressed.
On his part, Cavill was equally graceful in an Instagram post through which he acknowledged his successor and wished him the very best. "As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men," he partially wrote.