Chris Hemsworth no longer values "absurd" Hollywood awards or box office totals

He told the Guardian newspaper: "I used to think maybe if I was nominated for something I'd feel good about myself. Or maybe if I had the biggest film of all time, or launched another franchise, then I'd feel fulfilled. It's absurd.

"My self-worth doesn't rest upon all of those exterior things any more - though I still have to remind myself."

Chris went on to admit he's become more aware about the "fragility" of life since his father Craig was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease - and he now places a much a higher value on time he spends with his Elsa Pataky and their kids, daughter India and twins Sasha and Tristan.

He added: "My appetite for racing forward has really been reined in. I've become more aware of the fragility of things. You start thinking: 'My dad won't be here for ever.'

"And my kids are now 11 and 13. Those nights where they'd fight over sleeping in our bed - suddenly they're not happening any more."

Chris went on to add that many of his previous movie roles were chosen because of the hefty pay cheques.

He explained: "I'd think, 'I came from nothing. Who am I to turn down that kind of money?' Justifying things that weren't the purest creative decision - but I'll be able to pay for my parents' house, or I'll be able to help out my cousins ... "

The actor also insisted that he created a new persona for himself both on and offscreen to hide his insecurities.

He told the publication: "The character you see in interviews and the presentation of myself over the last two decades working in Hollywood, it's me - but it's a creation too. It's what I thought people wanted to see ... Playing a god [Thor] became a safety net. It fooled people into thinking I was that confident, that certain."