Elsa Pataky covered a recent issue of the Sunday Life magazine, which is the weekend magazine for the Sydney Morning Herald. Elsa and Chris Hemsworth moved to Byron Bay, Australia in 2014 in what was an effort, by Chris, to get his kids and his wife away from the LA lifestyle. Elsa was just pap-strolling too much! Since they moved to Australia, I’ve felt sort of bad for Elsa. She used to hustle and work whenever she could, but now it feels like Chris set it up so she would have to slow down and be more of a stay-at-home mom to their three kids. The reason why Elsa is chatting with the SMH is because she’s about to start work on a new film, Interceptor, where she’ll play some kind of badass superheroine. Chris is executive producing it and they’ve moved their family to Sydney for the time being. You can read the full piece here. Some highlights:
On Interceptor. “The storyline is about a driven woman who has nothing to lose and gets what she wants. It’s a role often given to men, but we’re seeing more going to women – showing we are capable of a lot more than we think. It’s great that my daughter gets to see me as a woman who is strong and saves the world. Up until now, she has seen her father as a superhero, which is great, but now it’s my turn.
Being in Sydney now: It’s a whole new experience. We are loving being in the city and the kids will go to school here. I can’t dress down as much as I do in Byron Bay – we hope to get back there on the weekends. Byron has been beautiful. We made the right decision in 2014 to leave LA and come to Australia – it’s been great for the kids to be in nature, enjoy animals and go horse riding.
Raising three kids and not working that much: “It’s difficult. There comes a point where you also want to work, not just be at home with the kids. Doing both at the same speed isn’t always possible. Finding balance is a process we all go through. I was lucky to stay home and be there for them every second of their younger years. I wrote a book, got into fitness and found other ways to work. It was also Chris’s moment to shine and I was fine with that. I knew my time would come again. Doing what you love is important to your sanity as a mother. We should be so proud of being mums – it’s the most difficult job in the world.
Chris wanted her to work? “Chris has always pushed me to keep working because he knows it makes me happy. He is always on my side. He tells me not to do things half-half but to commit all the way. He doesn’t want me to have any regrets. He is very supportive.
They’ve been married for more than a decade: “You need to put a lot of work into marriage; I don’t think every couple is perfect. It requires patience, understanding, a lot of conversation, getting to know the other person, to know yourself and what you do wrong. It’s about not letting one’s pride get in the way. We make an effort to do things together without the kids. We make time for ourselves as a couple. There are little things we don’t like about each other and pick on each other about, but behind all that is lots of love…There are things we don’t like about one another, but we don’t focus on them. We aren’t perfect.
Whether she dreams of moving back to Spain: “They always ask me when I’ll come back to Spain. I tell them, one day. I do love Spain but love Australia so much, and to be able to work here is also amazing. Australians have adopted me and I feel loved by them – we have a similar sense of humour. All the Spanish people who come here love it.
Isn’t there a somewhat big Spanish-speaking population in Australia? I imagine she does feel at home there now, but the experience is definitely laced with some bittersweetness. She was never going to be a big-time actress, but she had her own career and she loved it and she loved to hustle. I still believe Chris really forced her to move to Australia and stay home with the kids, despite what she’s saying now. “It was also Chris’s moment to shine and I was fine with that. I knew my time would come again.” That’s… a lot. But I hope he is supportive of her career now. I just don’t know.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Lol more like Chris wanted her away from his hunting grounds like US and UK. That man is a notorious cheat and has multiple affairs.
I have never seen anything about that, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I wouldn’t find it funny either. That would bring this next level. Honestly, that’s really disgusting if that’s what he did.
I find that really sad if true. She may not have been a big star, but she had her own career, and to sideline that just because her husband wanted to cheat in peace is just really awful.
I know she has a ton of privilege, but still.
@Sigmund, Can you explain what you mean by the privilege comment… beyond being a blonde European woman?
@jb
beautiful, working in movies, married to a massive movie star, rich, able to move to just about any country she likes and get residency? I mean, if there ever was a case to nitpick over privilege and what it means, I don’t think it’s this one.
Every time I see her I think of Adrian Brody losing his mind over her.
Like Darla, I have only ever read about his affairs here. Never see comments elsewhere about it, but I wouldn’t disbelief it either. He has gotten considerably more arrogant over the years.
The only place I have ever heard cheating rumours about him are in the comments here and nowhere else.
Have seen posts about his alleged extracurriculars on the DM, for what that’s worth. Also DM has a weird article out now about him and Cheyenne Tozzi. Very weird, hinting something but not saying it. Moderated comments as well.
I have only ever heard about his affairs from rumours on this site. I’ve lived in Byron and Sydney at the same time as the Hemsworths and there really aren’t any rumours locally. More like they give each other a lot of space and seem like an odd couple but no affairs. If he does he keeps it quiet.
The DM article about Chris and Cheyenne Tozzi is weird but it’s unlikely he’d take his 3 kids out in public so openly with her if he was cheating. More likely some studio publicity arranged thing, they’re being so visible.
I’ve lived in Byron and Sydney at the same time as the Hemsworths and never heard any cheating rumours, only that they seem like a bit of an odd couple. If he’s cheating he keeps it locked down.
The DM article about Chris and Cheyenne Tozzi is a bit weird, but it seems unlikely Chris would take his three kids on a public outing where he’s likely to be photographed, if he was cheating with her. Probably a studio publicity set up thing.
I remember seeing some blind items about his cheating years ago, but not for a while now – maybe that’s part of why they left LA?
I wonder if Alec Baldwin has ever tried to slide into her DMs lol
I think she’s one of the most privileged women in the world, but I also don’t think she’s really fulfilled. She made a big trade off. It’s all very The Feminine Mystique. Sure I can empathize, but only to a small degree. There’s so much suffering in the world. It is what it is.
She used to be all about the hustle and was so thirsty! I’m kind of sad that she lost that – remember when she went out with Adrien Brody and he bought her that castle in New York and they did a cheesy photoshoot for it?! I bet she kind of misses those days…
@ vexa, it’s apparently something that strikes her as possibly bitterness to the point that she made that comment that she stood back so he could continue to rise and they move to a much smaller province to keep her from pursuing more acting roles. I also find it insulting that he has cocooned her into that roll, as apparently by controlling her exposure. Isn’t this classic abuser fashion to insulate your spouse from others, especially loved ones?
She was 34 when she married Chris and her biggest claim to fame in film was the Fast and the Furious movies which had a large cast and her role was not central. I really don’t think she gave up that much work-wise. In the past she has said she was a bigger star than he was when they met but he had already booked Thor and she was mostly known for being hot and dating famous guys which is not the same as having a robust acting career. I think they really like being the biggest fish in a small pond in Byron. It’s great that she is finding roles now and not especially surprising that Chris is executive producing the film, a lot of 40-something and 50-something actresses are way more involved in sourcing their own material than they used to be. I think they both have had a realization about where they are in the marketplace (separate from their acting ability) and have decided to play to their strengths.
“I think they really like being the biggest fish in a small pond in Byron”
I saw an interview where Chris was going about Australian actors not being as desperate as they can fall back to the Aussie film industry if they don’t make it. I think genuinely they wanted to get away from the competition in LA/HW – because no matter how in demand you are now, you could be out of a job for good tomorrow in their industry.
Is there a big Australian film industry? I know big international films shoot there but they bring in a lot of their casts. There does seem to be a lot of tv that is shot and released there.
It’s tiny compared to HW but if you’re established, you can get steady work probably. COVID (Australia has effectively zero community transmission and most new cases are hotel quarantine) has made it an even bigger destination for HW films.
I think it works for them. I think she might like to work, but she likes the movie star lifestyle just as much (remember when Adrian Brody bought her a castle?). I also think she is outdoorsy and loves fitness so the relaxed lifestyle and celebrity she has there with him works for her. He finances her acting projects, she allows him extra-curricular activities, and they both have the kind of home life that they enjoy. I think that this is a situation where everyone seems to get what they want.
I’ll never forget that castle story and the photoshoot that went along with it. Whew. Adam was head over heels.
@T.Fanty:
Hey, I’m still alive. Sent you an e-mail a couple of days ago (please check your inbox or maybe it went straight to the junk one).
Yeah, I see everyone else catching red flags here or whatever, but to me she sounds sincere. She seems happy. I hope she really is!
She’s definitely worked since being in Oz. She was the central character in Tidelands, a TV series that came out in 2018. She was excellent in that. I’d recommend it!
“I can’t dress down as much as I did in Byron” this this mean she is wearing shoes again?
I live in Sydney and visit Byron Bay. Byron Bay is delightful but has been wildly gentrified. I’m kinda confused about her comments regarding dressing up for Sydney?
I’m not as wealthy as Elsa but like idk… Byron Bay is full of rich people dressed as well as their Sydney counterparts. Plus, White Australian culture is all about blondes, chill vibes, dressing in casual clothes and having effortless beauty. Elsa (appears to) tick those boxes.
Maybe it just mean shoes tho…. and I’m overthinking out of sheer confusion.
Not every actress is Angelina Jolie or Meryl Streep. In fact, most actress have the career of Elsa or hope to. Pataky has been working steadily for years regardless of what people think of the quality of her projects. Not everyone gets the Oscar noms or prestige roles and there is nothing wrong with that. It reminds me of how people treat Meghan Markle’s career. How people look down on her because she was just a cable actress for 7 years and that means she isn’t worthy of being called successful. I’m sure Elsa enjoys working and she clearly enjoyed the hustle and that’s ok. Good for her that she’s getting back to that.
Not every actress is Meryl or Angelina but most of them avoid using the word “star” to describe themselves. Even the ones who are stars. Her old interviews are a trip.
I guess it may seem crass, I’ll give you that, but whose going to work harder for you than yourself? Sometimes you have to be your own hype man.
That’s a good point. We apply this standard of “success” for performers that we don’t to other professions. I, for one, know many attorneys or teachers who are doing well but who will never argue a case before the Supreme Court or gain tenure at an Ivy League university. I don’t consider those people “failures” or “D-list.” Some people might say you have to be more intelligent to be an attorney or teacher than you have to to be a working actor (debatable) , but there are far more positions for attorneys/teachers than exist for working actors.
I’ve always liked her. I hope she has her time to shine. It might not be as bright as her husband but it seems she should have a go again