Last year, when Luke Van Os got an audition for Home And Away, he didn’t have to seek far for tips on how to approach the situation.
His cousin, Marvel’s Thor, Chris Hemsworth, was more than eager to mentor the newest member of the Hemsworth acting dynasty.
“I contacted him as I was getting ready for the last chemistry tests and meeting the producers, saying, ‘Dude, I’m so worried.’ ‘Do you have any suggestions?’ Van Os explains.
“He said, ‘Simply be prepared,’ so the night before we Zoomed and just ran the lines and experimented with the situations so that when I went on Zoom with the producers the next day, I was as prepared as I could be.”
After a few months, Van Os, who plays nice-guy paramedic Xander Delaney, the newly found half brother of nurse Jasmine (Sam Frost), has become a Summer Bay regular, just like Hemsworth did when he portrayed Kim Hyde from 2004 to 2007.
Van Os, 24, is 14 years younger than Hemsworth, yet he recalls watching him on Home And Away on a daily basis.
He says, “I grew up watching Chris on this exact show.” “Now I’m doing it on my own.” It’s all a bit strange.”
Hemsworth’s mother Leonie and Van Os’ father Robert are siblings, and Van Os claims he was always the “annoying little cousin,” following in the footsteps of his older siblings and the Hemsworth brothers, Chris, Luke, 41, of Westworld, and Liam, 32, of The Hunger Games and, more recently, The Most Dangerous Game.
Van Os claims that seeing his relatives achieve international fame on both small and large screens inspired him to pursue his own acting career.
“I’ve always enjoyed movies and cinema, ever since I was a child.” “I used to be the child who would dress up and put on plays for my parents and siblings,” he recalls.
“However, it was seeing my relatives actually show up and behave that made me think, ‘Wow, this is doable.'” This is something that can be done.’ And I was fortunate enough to witness the amount of effort and hard work they put in, so I knew it would be a difficult battle.”
Van Os isn’t a newcomer to the game. He’s been auditioning for eight or nine years and has appeared in small roles on the television shows Bloom and Glitch, as well as starring in a number of short and independent films, including Banana Split, for which he won a best actor award at the Independent Short Awards.
“However, (Home And Away) is nothing compared to what I’ve done in the past,” he admits. “And I suppose I would have given up years ago if I hadn’t witnessed how hard my relatives worked.” The most difficult aspect of this industry is simply remaining resilient and persevering.”
The Hemsworth brothers’ assistance, he claims, has been crucial.
“I consider myself fortunate to have been able to seek their advice and direction, and they’ve been quite helpful,” he says.
“It’s been quite beneficial.” I absolutely don’t compare myself to them, but it doesn’t bother me if others do. It’s just the way things are.”
Van Os adds he hasn’t considered following in his relatives’ footsteps and going to Hollywood because his time on Home And Away is just getting started.
“I mean, all I’ve wanted to do for so long is work as an actor, pay my expenses, and live.” “I’m just loving it now that I’m doing it,” he says. “It’s too early to be thinking about it.”
He’s having a great time at Summer Bay.
“As an actor, I’ve been fortunate enough to secure one of the top occupations available. “Most acting roles are only a few weeks or months long, so having something more full-time is a dream,” Van Os explains.
“I’m just trying to make the most of it here and ride the wave, because who knows what the future holds.” “Am I even at work?” I think to myself as I stand on that beach.
