Elsa Pataky is a model, actor, and producer known for her roles in the Fast and the Furious franchise and Snakes on a Plane. However, there’s much more to Pataky than meets the eye—including the fact that she’s been married to Thor star Chris Hemsworth since 2010.
#1. Background: Born and Raised in Spain
Elsa was born in Madrid, Spain, to a biochemist father and a publicist mother, and has acted in numerous Spanish films and TV shows. She’s fluent in six languages: Spanish, English, Romanian, Italian, Portuguese, and French. Pataky even switches to Spanish during arguments with Hemsworth, which he finds challenging yet amusing. “When I hear the Spanish directed at me, it’s usually… aggressive,” Hemsworth joked to Ellen in 2018. “When we’re fighting… she’ll drop the English facade.”
#2. A Successful Career in Film and Television
Elsa’s acting career extends well beyond Hollywood, with a diverse range of roles in international projects. Most recently, she starred in Netflix’s Interceptor as Captain J.J. Collins, an Army captain defending her base from an attack. In addition to action roles, Pataky has also starred in the supernatural drama Tidelands, Netflix’s first Australian series, where she portrayed a mysterious character in a mermaid-filled world.
#3. That Famous Kiss Scene in Thor: The Dark World
When a scheduling conflict prevented Natalie Portman from filming the final kiss in Thor: The Dark World, Pataky stood in for Portman, donning her wig and costume. Portman later revealed, “They put his wife in my wig and costume, that’s why it was so passionate.”
#4. Dating Adrien Brody… Who Bought Her a Castle
Before marrying Hemsworth, Pataky dated Adrien Brody, who bought her a 19th-century mini-castle in New York for her 31st birthday. “When I saw the castle, I asked Adrien, ‘Is this ours?’” she recalled. Brody’s grand gesture made headlines, and the couple were known for their shared love of adventure and fashion.
#5. Marrying Chris Hemsworth Just Three Months After Meeting
Elsa and Chris Hemsworth married just three months after meeting, tying the knot in Australia during Christmas of 2010. They have three children: Tristan, Sasha, and India. Speaking to Elle in 2015, Hemsworth said, “There was no light bulb moment… From the first time we met, we just made sense. She’s fun, outgoing, and has a sense of humor and a passionate attitude toward life, which is nice to try to keep up with.”
#6. Falling in Love with Chris’s Voice
Elsa first fell for Hemsworth’s deep, captivating voice. “Before I met him, I heard his voice on the phone, and that was what I loved,” she said in 2016, adding that she also found his physique “hot.”
#7. Balancing Career and Family
Their relationship hasn’t always been easy, with Hemsworth’s demanding career adding strain. “My wife and I fell in love, had kids, didn’t really see each other for a few years, then fell back in love,” Hemsworth told GQ in 2017. Pataky has also been open about the challenges: “He was very young to be starting a family… but he’s always been an incredible dad and puts his family first,” she told Elle. Going through these struggles together, she believes, strengthened their bond.
#8. A Shared Passion for Fitness
Pataky is as dedicated to fitness as her husband and is arguably even more fit. “Yeah, she has a greater cardio skill set, endurance than I’ll ever have,” Hemsworth admitted to ET, adding that their trainer often reminds him, “Your wife is much fitter than you are.”
