Chris Hemsworth’s favourite movies from the 1980s

(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)

Wed 1 January 2025 3:00, UK

Chris Hemsworth might be one of the world’s highest-paid actors, but he’s not known for playing serious, artistic roles. Instead, he’s renowned for his time as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a slew of other action-packed leading man roles. This isn’t to say he’s not a talented actor, but he clearly knows what he’s good at and sticks to it. For him, this usually means more lighthearted characters or those following a classic plot with plenty of capers.

Given his choice of roles, it’s unsurprising to find out that the middle Hemsworth is a fan of movies from the 1980s. While more serious cinephiles might reject the decade as candy-coloured schlock, most people and everyday film lovers seem to carry a saccharine nostalgia for the era. And, really, it’s for good reason. No other decade of films was so much fun while still being half-decent. 

Yes, the 1960s and ’70s might be better in the innovation, style and substance categories, and the 1990s might have been more sleek, but no decade of film was quite as fun as the 1980s. So, it’s no surprise that a more lighthearted actor like Chris Hemsworth would be in the crowd of ’80s film lovers. 

He told FilmLink:  “I love the films of the eighties. I don’t know if films were different in the eighties, or if it’s just a nostalgic thing because of who I was, or that period of my life watching them, but they defined so many things: my own sense of humour, the way that I acted and interacted with people, and how I saw the world.” 

This sense of humour was certainly on display when Hemsworth took up a role in a reboot of one of his favourite movies from the 1980s: Ghostbusters. While not usually known for his comedic roles, Hemsworth impressed the Ghostbusters 2016 director with his SNL skit, allowing him to see a funnier side to the actor. He cited the original as one of the films that shaped his taste, “They’re the eighties films that we all grew up on – and that I certainly grew up on – and they certainly shaped my taste in film. I have quite a broad sense or feel for what I want to be a part of.”

But what other films of the decade inspired Hemsworth? Of course, there are two franchises that no boy growing up in the 1980s could say they didn’t love: Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Both action-packed romps starring Harrison Ford, the movies spawned a generation of film-loving nerds. Those same nerds or jocks or basketcases, of course, would also love The Breakfast Club, just like Hemsworth. 

The ragtag bunch of detention-goers continues to help disenfranchised teenagers feel like they have something to relate to and clearly did the same for Hemsworth. As did another coming-of-age tale, Stand By Me. Another youthful nostalgia fest, it’s clear that Hemsworth had a type when it comes to 1980s films. And, if this taste has allowed him to make definitive choices in his career, then who’s to judge? After all, not every actor is out there to provoke and challenge. Some simply want to be on screen to entertain and have fun, which is exactly what we should learn from the most nostalgia-filled decade.

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