Chris Hemsworth reveals why leaving LA for Australia was his ‘biggest decision’ – realestate.com.au

Chris Hemsworth may have built his career in the bright lights of Tinsel Town, but when it comes to his family life, the actor says life in Los Angeles was nothing like the glamorous illusion portrayed on the big screen.

The 42-year-old actor says the “biggest decision” he ever made was leaving Los Angeles for good to move his family to a farm in his native Australia, admitting that both he and his wife, Elsa Pataky, had grown tired of the “trappings” and constant attention they faced in California.

Hemsworth — who shares three children with Pataky, 49 — explained on an episode of the “Smartless” podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, that both he and his wife agreed that their family began to outgrow Los Angeles around the same time they welcomed their twin sons, who were born in March 2014.

He explained that by this time there had been a shift in the industry, forcing him to travel to other destinations around the world to film his various projects, many of which had previously been shot in LA.

“It was right around the time my boys were born, and it was just… we were kind of based in LA and not having fun with it, you know? Like nothing was being filmed there. We were filming everywhere,” he explained.

“And then… you came home and there were paparazzi and all kinds of paraphernalia of, you know, living in that space.”

Chris Hemsworth has opened up about his decision to move his family back to Australia, where they live in a palatial $50 million Byron Bay mansion. Instagram/Chris Hemsworth

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Keen for their children – daughter India, 13, and sons Sasha and Tristan, both 11 – to grow up away from the constant spotlight following their parents, the couple decided to move to a ‘big farm’ in the Byron Bay area, where their children will have plenty of opportunity to run around without fear of prying eyes.

Now, instead of feeling the stress and pressure of the Los Angeles spotlight, Hemsworth says returning home is like going on vacation, explaining, “You know, when you get back from work, you want to go on vacation?

‘For me, coming home is like a holiday. We have a big farm, horses, motorcycles and surfing.”

The Marvel star’s “farm” is actually an eco-friendly estate that the couple had custom built for their family.

Completed in 2021, the expansive property is now estimated to be worth approximately $50 million and offers a range of high-end amenities including a bowling alley, private gym, Olympic-sized swimming pool and spa.

Hemsworth officially cut ties with California the same year his Byron Bay mansion was completed, when he sold a Malibu home he shared with his brothers Liam and Luke.

Liam, Chris and Luke Hemsworth sold a property in Malibu in 2021. Photo: Getty

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The siblings purchased the home in 2016 for $4.86 million (US$3.45 million) and made several improvements to the property before listing it for $6.9 million (US$4.9 million) in September 2020. It was eventually sold for the lower price of US$5.99 million (US$4.25 million) in January 2021.

In April, Hemsworth explained to Modern Luxury magazine that his living situation in California was far from the dream situation he had for his family. He explained that he wanted his children to have the same kind of space and access to nature that he enjoyed growing up.

“We lived shoulder to shoulder in the suburbs and thought this is not how we want our kids to grow up,” he said.

“Moving to a sort of farm here on the coast in Australia has been the best thing.”

Chris and Elsa at their home in Byron Bay. Image: Instagram

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While his current home certainly offers more luxury than his childhood home, Hemsworth told the “Smartless” hosts that the feel of the home is much the same as the home where he grew up, especially when it comes to the emphasis placed on outdoor activities.

“We lived about 20 minutes away from the main suburban areas of Melbourne, up in the hills,” he recalls. “And the nearest neighbor was a mile or two away.

‘It was just all bushland and rainforest around us. And so we did [have] …outdoor adventures and playing different characters. And I think that, to be honest, is the kind of intrigue or interest in that transportation to another.”

Hemsworth said the opportunity to spend much more time outdoors and on the beach is just one of the many reasons his family prefers their life in Australia. Image: Matrix/GC images

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However, moving back to Australia was not on the agenda for Hemsworth and Pataky when they first met, with the Spanish-born mother of three previously revealing to Yahoo Be that they had vowed never to ask each other to move to their home country as it meant one of them would be too far away from their family.

“We always said when we met, I would never let you live in Spain, and he would never let me live in Australia because our families are so far away,” she said.

But Pataky agreed with her husband that moving to Byron Bay was the best thing that could have happened to their family, revealing: “I love it, and it’s the best place in the world.”

By Charlie Lankston

This article was originally published on broker.com