Luke Hemsworth stars in the new MMA film Beast as Gabriel, a character he describes as a “dirtbag guy with a dirtbag goatee.” He says he channelled his inner dirtbag, wearing his own snakeskin boots throughout the film and even keeping one of Gabriel’s suits, which he has worn to premieres. “It is so fun to play characters like him,” he says, adding that it’s nice to have permission to do and say things that give people “the ick.”
Hemsworth, 45, has trained in boxing, Brazilian jiujitsu and muay thai, partly to protect himself from his brothers Chris and Liam. He describes UFC Sundays at one of their homes, with the family ending up wrestling. “Liam will tell you he’s never been beaten at wrestling but don’t believe a single word he says,” he jokes. He also recently impressed his 14-year-old daughter by landing a front flip on the trampoline, despite her exclaiming that he is “really old.”
The actor has made three films with Russell Crowe but has never shared a scene with him. He calls Crowe “an icon” and “a force of nature,” praising him for stepping in when his 2022 film Poker Face nearly collapsed, saving 200 jobs. “That’s a rare commitment, and I take my hat off to him,” Hemsworth says.
Reflecting on the downsides of the Hemsworth name, Luke says there is an assumption that roles come easily, but in his experience it has been “a lot more difficult” and carries a stigma. He has to be very aware of his craft and prepare thoroughly. He is often confused with his brother Liam, and was introduced as “Liam Hemsworth” at the Beast premiere by Rob Carlton. “I’m going to call him out! … He came up after and said, ‘I’m so sorry. I had a brain fart.’”
Hemsworth also shares childhood memories of watching The NeverEnding Story and being upset by the Artax scene, and being terrified by The Exorcist while his parents were out. He later met Linda Blair through her dog rescue foundation, after enquiring about a dog online. Blair called him personally, and he and his daughter Harper visited her home in the hills past Los Angeles.
