This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

#640 - Chris Hemsworth

February 17, 2026

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  • The romanticized idea of post-high school backpacking adventures is often missed by those who enter the working world early, like Chris Hemsworth, due to the constraints of celebrity later on. 
  • Fame and success do not eliminate life's fundamental challenges; they merely shift the nature of the adversity, leading to a recurring need for reassessment of purpose, often around mid-life. 
  • Social connection, community support, and having a clear sense of purpose are recurring, vital factors found in longevity studies (Blue Zones) and are considered the opposite of addiction. 
  • Actively curating social media algorithms by selecting educational content can significantly improve the user's feed experience, moving away from outrage-driven content. 
  • When discussing Alzheimer's, Chris Hemsworth emphasized the importance of asking parents how they are feeling and what they are afraid of, as this vulnerability is often overlooked by others. 
  • Chris Hemsworth believes that children learn behavior primarily through parental example rather than instruction, highlighting the need for adults to model desired behaviors like reducing phone use. 

Segments

Pepsi Zero Sugar Taste Challenge
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Pepsi Zero Sugar won blind taste tests against Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, with 66% of participants preferring its taste.
  • Summary: Theo Von opens the episode by questioning soda preferences, asserting that Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes better than alternatives. Blind taste tests, including the revived Pepsi Challenge, showed that 66% of people agreed Pepsi Zero Sugar was superior. Consumers are encouraged to let taste decide when choosing a zero-sugar option.
Australian Adventurous Spirit
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(00:01:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The isolation and youth of Australia as a nation foster an adventurous spirit among its citizens, often leading to post-high school backpacking globally.
  • Summary: Australians are perceived as risk-taking, which is attributed partly to the vastness of the country and the difficulty of short cultural trips compared to Europe. Finishing high school often prompts an adventure abroad, as many friends sought inspiration or experience before settling on a career path.
Childhood in the Outback
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(00:04:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Chris Hemsworth spent formative early years in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities while his father ran a cattle station and community center.
  • Summary: Hemsworth’s earliest vivid memories stem from living in the bush near several Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. He visited this region multiple times between the ages of five and nine. Unlike his peers, he missed the traditional post-school backpacking period, starting work on a soap opera at 18.
Celebrity and Observational Life
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(00:05:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Fame limits the ability to fully immerse in experiences, turning travel and daily life into a more observational state rather than active participation.
  • Summary: The downside of celebrity is the restriction on spontaneous activities; for instance, press tours involve seeing many countries only from a hotel room. This fame creates a barrier where interaction becomes observational, limiting genuine involvement in the world.
Midlife Crisis and Purpose Reassessment
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(00:07:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Around the 30s or 40s, the constructed identity (‘mask’) built from societal expectations wears thin, prompting a deep search for authentic purpose, often requiring solitude.
  • Summary: Hemsworth is experiencing a reassessment where goals achieved become the new norm, forcing a search for deeper meaning (’the why’). This internal protest aligns with Jungian psychology’s ‘Middle Passage,’ where the soul demands attention beyond survival or financial motivation. Finding happiness comes from enjoying the mystery of the seeking process without attachment to a specific outcome.
The Paradox of Hitchhiking Stories
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(00:13:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Motion pictures like Wolf Creek can effectively ruin entire modes of travel, such as hitchhiking, for decades due to the fear they instill.
  • Summary: The conversation touches on the dangers and occasional positive experiences of hitchhiking, contrasting personal safety concerns with acts of generosity. Mark Ruffalo once took a four-hour detour to help young festival-goers, illustrating big-heartedness. However, films like Wolf Creek have severely impacted the viability of hitchhiking in Australia.
Longevity, Alzheimer’s, and Connection
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(00:29:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The most profound lesson from Chris Hemsworth’s Limitless documentary was that social connection and support groups are the most critical factors for longevity and mental health, directly opposing addiction.
  • Summary: Hemsworth discovered he carried two copies of the ApoE4 gene, predisposing him to Alzheimer’s, which led to a profound episode with his father, Craig, who has the disease. Reminiscence therapy helped foster intimate conversations, but the key takeaway from longevity science was the importance of community and support networks in reducing stress. Connection is cited as the opposite of addiction.
Blue Zones and Purposeful Living
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(00:35:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Blue Zones—regions with high centenarian rates—share common lifestyle features including natural movement, plant-based diets, strong social ties, low stress, and a clear sense of purpose.
  • Summary: Blue Zone residents remain active and independent, often maintaining purpose through gardening or family care rather than formal retirement. The stress derived from striving for perfection or avoiding all pleasure (like skipping birthday cake) is counterproductive to longevity. Multi-generational living contributes to better sleep and connectivity, contrasting with modern, isolated households.
Social Media Algorithms and Accountability
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(00:51:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Social media algorithms accelerate the journey from curiosity to conviction by feeding users increasingly biased content, and the lack of real-world consequence for online behavior erodes accountability.
  • Summary: Theo notes feeling better after quitting TikTok, criticizing algorithms for creating echo chambers based on initial curiosity. The platforms move users from simply looking at a topic to developing a strong, biased conviction without requiring them to actively search for opposing views. This digital environment lacks the immediate, physical repercussion that taught self-regulation in previous generations.
Curating Social Media Algorithms
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(00:55:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Actively changing algorithm controls transforms a feed from outrage-based content to educational material.
  • Summary: Users can access algorithm controls to completely change their feed by selecting specific interests like editing tutorials or film lighting. This change helps combat being trapped in an algorithm that feeds on outrage and triggers big emotions. Implementing the ‘see less of’ option when encountering unwanted content is an effective way to transform the feed.
CarShield and Liquid IV Ads
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(00:56:46)
  • Key Takeaway: CarShield offers low-cost vehicle protection plans with roadside assistance, while Liquid IV hydrates better than water alone.
  • Summary: CarShield provides month-to-month vehicle protection plans, including 24/7 roadside assistance, towing, and rental car options, using code THEO for 20% off. Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier uses LIV HydroScience to optimize electrolytes for superior hydration compared to plain water. Using code THEO at liquidiv.com offers 20% off the first order.
Chris Hemsworth’s Film Crime 101
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(00:59:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Crime 101 is a character-driven heist film paying homage to 70s-90s action thrillers with deep emotional continuity.
  • Summary: The film features Mark Ruffalo as a detective facing corruption, Halle Berry as an insurance broker facing ageism, and Hemsworth as a thief with a strict, non-violent code seeking personal freedom. The script was compelling because it matched intense action with intimate emotional scenes, exploring moral ambiguity and how people arrive at difficult life points. The narrative avoids spoon-feeding conclusions, allowing the audience to question right and wrong based on character backstories.
Australian Wildlife Anecdotes
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(01:06:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Wallabies can be subdued with a tranquilizer dart, and a viral video shows a man successfully punching a kangaroo defending its dog.
  • Summary: Theo Von recounted stealing something young and mentioned darting a wallaby, leading to a discussion about the effectiveness of tranquilizer darts on the animals. They referenced a famous video where a man fought off a large kangaroo that had a dog in a headlock, showcasing the surprising strength of the marsupials. The experience of seeing large kangaroos in Australia was described as genuinely frightening.
Meeting Chris Lilley
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(01:08:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Chris Lilley, creator of ‘Summer Heights High,’ is considered a rare talent whose controversial mockumentary style predated current cancel culture.
  • Summary: Chris Hemsworth shared meeting Chris Lilley, describing it as encountering a rare bird, and praised his early mockumentary style, including playing multiple characters. They recalled hilarious sketches like ‘Mr. G’ and the musical drugs segment, acknowledging that much of the content might not be acceptable today. Lilley reportedly felt the impact of cancel culture, with reactions to his work varying across different cultural groups.
Alzheimer’s Communication and Value Loss
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(01:11:20)
  • Key Takeaway: A key piece of advice for families dealing with dementia is to ask the affected person what they are afraid of, as they often fear being a burden.
  • Summary: A viewer shared that people often avoid discussing the diagnosis, causing the patient to suffer in silence, and that asking about fears is crucial. Chris Hemsworth realized his father’s primary fear was becoming a burden to the family, not just losing his memories. This realization prompted Hemsworth to intentionally ask his father for advice to preserve his sense of agency and purpose as the ‘changing of the guard’ occurs in the parent-child dynamic.
Parental Time vs. Material Gifts
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(01:16:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Parents, especially mothers, often value their adult children’s dedicated time far more than material gifts.
  • Summary: Theo Von mentioned buying his mother things, but she expressed wanting his scheduled time instead, even asking to book 15 minutes in his calendar. This highlights how busy schedules can lead to neglecting quality time, which parents prioritize over material possessions. The desire for a ‘beautiful responsibility’ or dedicated presence counters the parent’s fear of being a burden.
Modeling Behavior for Children
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(01:28:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Children learn primarily through observing their parents’ actions, making modeling desired behavior more critical than verbal instruction.
  • Summary: Chris Hemsworth stated that his words are not imprinted on his children; they learn by example, meaning he must stop swearing if he tells them to stop. Moving back to Australia provided a less chaotic environment, allowing them to focus on outdoor activities like surfing and motorbikes. Teaching gratitude is difficult when children grow up with financial security, so exposure to different situations is used to foster appreciation.
Critique of Traditional Education System
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(01:34:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The traditional K-12 education model has remained largely unchanged for centuries, failing to evolve with other industries and often treating students like cattle.
  • Summary: The percentage of parents viewing K-12 education negatively is at a decade high, partly due to disagreements over pandemic policies. The structure, involving one teacher managing 30 students with diverse learning styles, is described as chaos, contrasting sharply with advancements in other industries. A better system would involve smaller class sizes, mentorship, and integrating learning with invested interests, such as calculating surfboard volume in math class.
Crime 101 Premiere and Cast
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(01:36:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Crime 101 offers a nostalgic, gritty cinematic experience reminiscent of classic heist films like Heat and Collateral.
  • Summary: The film, shot in Los Angeles, features strong performances from co-stars like Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry, whom Hemsworth found intimidating yet captivating to work alongside. Barry Keogan’s unpredictable energy was also noted as a highlight of the cast. Hemsworth mentioned his friend Crosby Fitzgerald, who loves ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ is in the upcoming Little House on the Prairie remake on Netflix.