Hemsworth displays comedic chops

MANILA, Philippines -Australian actor and “Thor” himself, Chris Hemsworth (photo) dips his toes in the comedy pool with New Line Cinema’s adult ribtickler, Vacation.

Chris plays Stone Crandall, a popular on-air forecaster who has done very well and is on the cusp of even more success, with the ranch and cattle and man toys to prove it. And as the Griswold’s trip spirals out of control, Rusty (Ed Helms) and his family find themselves on his doorstep.

To find the perfect man that is Stone, the filmmakers looked to the gods, or at least one of them. Chris, who has notably saved the world as the popular mythical figure Thor, was excited to come on board. “I grew up on the Vacation films like most people my age, so I was all in,” says Chris. “But this was also an opportunity to do something different. I loved the script and the character and the cast involved. It was a no-brainer. I knew it would be a blast.”

Chris describes his character as “a cheesy weatherman, a bit of a douche bag who has some old-fashioned views of the world. He gets away with a lot of the outrageous things he’s saying and doing because he’s charming and you kind of forgive him for it.”

Although Chris is known as a dramatic actor, he was thrown into the comedy deep end with the rest of the veteran cast.

“I don’t have a background in comedy, but everyone on this film couldn’t be more welcoming or more supportive,” he shares. “I was nervous coming into it but they’ve all made it a wonderful experience.”

Following in his father’s footsteps and hoping for some much-needed family bonding, a grown-up Rusty Griswold surprises his wife, Debbie (Christina Applegate), and their two sons with a cross-country trip back to America’s “favorite family fun park,” Walley World.

Now showing nationwide, Vacation is a New Line Cinema presentation distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.