Entering the world of Hollywood is not easy for actors and actresses, especially when starting out. That was the case for Chris Hemsworth, who found success early on but later, was kind of shunned by Hollywood, struggling to find work.
He missed out on several roles that could've changed his career, we'll talk about one in particular in this article. Turns out, despite the financial success of the film, Chris might've missed on a major headache, as the star of the film was basically forced into it, calling it a big regret in his career.
Ultimately, Hemsworth changed his career, landing the role of Thor. However, just prior, it was a tough reality for the struggling star, who was constantly passed on. Let's detail the struggle and which film he ultimately missed out on. Looking back, it might've been a major blessing that changed his career for the better.
Chris Couldn't Catch A Break
We're led to believe that working in Hollywood is all about the glitz and glamour, however, that couldn't be further from the truth. It can be a stressful environment for those trying to make it, that was the case for Hemsworth early on, "I had a huge amount of anxiety when I was auditioning, and that just got worse and worse the more I heard the word ‘no’. I did a lot of soul searching on a number of occasions, where I asked myself: ‘Why am I doing this? What’s my motivation to put myself through this?"
What made things that much more stressful is the fact that Hemsworth had a family to support. He started doubting himself, wondering if he'd ever find work again, "I almost put too much pressure on myself,” Hemsworth says. “If I hadn’t taken it upon myself to take care of my family, I might have been more relaxed.” After leaving “Home and Away” in 2007, he struggled to land any major roles in Hollywood. “I remember I had an audition right before Christmas one year, where things were not going good,” he says. “I’d stopped getting callbacks, and I was getting worse feedback. I thought, ‘God, why did I do this?’”
Hemsworth stuck with it and at the very least, he was auditioning for major roles.
'G.I. Joe' Came Calling
Hemsworth was considered for major roles, one, in particular, made $302 million back in 2009. The film was 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra', a part Channing Tatum was basically forced to take.
Hemsworth discusses that time in his career alongside Variety, "I got very close to ‘GI Joe,’” he says of the action hero played by Channing Tatum in the 2009 summer hit. “I got very close to Gambit in the Wolverine ‘X-Men’ movies.” Instead, Taylor Kitsch was cast. “At the time I was upset,” Hemsworth says. “I was running out of money. But if I played either of those characters, I wouldn’t have been able to play Thor.”
It all worked out for Hemsworth, as he would be cast in 'Thor' just a couple of years later. The film was a huge success in 2011, earning $449 million worldwide. Of course, two other films were made, along with a fourth which is on its way, 'Thor: Love and Thunder.'
As if that wasn't enough reason, the celeb that took the G.I. Joe role has some major regrets.
Tatum Regrets The Role
Channing wasn't all that pleased for being selected in the role and according to star, the studio basically forced him into it, as he signed a three-picture deal with Paramount. He explained the situation in a candid interview alongside Howard Stern, "Look, I’ll be honest. I hate that movie. I hate that movie,” Tatum said of the 2009 tentpole. “I was pushed into doing that movie … [After] ‘Coach Carter,’ they signed me for a three-picture deal … And as a young [actor], you’re like, ‘Oh my god, that sounds amazing, I’m doing that! The script wasn’t any good,” Tatum went on. “I didn’t want to do something that I thought was 1) bad, and 2) I just didn’t know if I wanted to be G.I. Joe.”
Tatum stated it was either do the film or getting sued for not following the terms of your contract. Although the film did well, it wasn't what Tatum wanted at the time.
To sum up, although things didn't work out as Tatum would've liked, they did for Chris Hemsworth, who changed his career thanks to Thor.
Sources: Cinema Blend, YouTube & Variety