The full title of Thor’s latest movie makes more sense now, knowing that Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth’s daughter India Hemsworth co-star in Thor: Love and Thunder. In fact, even Elsa has a part in Marvel’s new superhero movie.
India plays Love, the daughter of Gorr the God Butcher, portrayed by Christian Bale. In the film, the 10-year-old actress has a crucial role. And in real life, her dad couldn’t be more proud of his future Hollywood star.
“It was just like when I’m at home, trying to tell her to do anything, she’s like, ‘Pfft, no, I’ll do it my way.’ And power to her, good on her, because she did an incredible job,” Hemsworth told Marvel.com in an interview.
But India didn’t get the job right away. She had to audition for it like any other aspiring actor. Her dad, which is also an executive producer in the film, helped her tape an audition for director Taika Waititi.
“I love the ownership the kids have in moments like that,” Hemsworth explained. “It’s a good reminder, all of it, for all of us just to stay true to who you are and not get caught up in the self-importance of it all. [Kids] really bring you back to Earth and ground the whole experience.”
According to Bale, Chris always was on set with India. “Chris was a wonderfully attentive dad, just off-camera all the time, just checking she was all right, giving me thumbs up, me giving him thumbs up, checking,” the actor told the comics website. “It was really endearing seeing the two of them. He sort of let her be, and she did it herself.”
What did Elsa do in the movie?
Pataky plays the role of a wolf woman with a past with Thor. And don’t blink too much because Elsa also brought twins, Tristan and Sasha, to play young Thor and Sasha, an Asgardian kid.
“It was not always the plan,” the director explained of the family cameos. “The idea started really when Chris was talking about [his daughter] India. And he was like, ‘Oh, you know, it would kind of be quite cool for me to be in a scene with my daughter.’ I started looking around like, ‘Oh, everyone has kids. All of these actors have kids.‘”
“I really love the idea that my kids can look back on this moment and be like, oh wow, we were there. There’s a record of it,” Waititi said.
Will the Hemsworth kids pursue a career in acting?
“I don’t want them to now go and be child stars and actors,” Hemsworth told Good Day DC. “It was just a special experience we all had, and they loved it. They had a great time.”