In the heart of Byron Bay’s raw Aussie atmosphere, something powerful was brewing - not a beer-soaked moshpit, but something even more electrifying: Chris Hemsworth, thunder god of Hollywood, is trading his hammer for drumsticks. Under the weathered eye and seasoned grooves of Parkway Drive’s Ben Gordon, Hemsworth has stepped into uncharted terrain - no six-pack abs, no superpowers - just pure, unfiltered rhythm.
Ben Gordon, the powerhouse behind Parkway Drive’s relentless percussion, sits down in Limitless: Live Better Now - the docuseries sequel premiering August 15 on Disney+ and Hulu (and hitting National Geographic on August 25) - and explains how this unlikely musical journey began. When Ed Sheeran challenged Hemsworth to climb behind the kit for a stadium performance, he turned to his longtime mate and sworn-percussion-shredder, Ben. Over years of friendship sparked in Byron, Ben became the logical call - the only pro drummer in Hemsworth’s rolodex.
Hemsworth arrived as a total greenhorn. Zero rhythm, zero chops. “Really bad” as Ben admits. But that was exactly the point. In the blood and fire of two months’ training, Hemsworth learned that even the mighty Thor could not only be humbled; but shatter expectations by discovering something he couldn’t already conquer. The garage became a crucible. Calluses formed. Concentration sharpened, and soon enough, muscle memory kicked in.
Ever the warrior, Hemsworth nailed the performance - dripping with adrenaline, every beat a proclamation of endurance. He recounts that night: Band‑Aids covering raw fingers, heart-thudding anxiety - “fear can be a pretty good motivator until it’s breathing down your neck”. Yet, once he locked into the groove, playing before 70,000 unified souls, the experience transcended terror. It became near‑spiritual. A rush of endorphins, connection, and collective pulse - and in that flood, Hemsworth glimpsed something bigger than any cinematic epic: the communal power of rhythm, communion and creation.
This wasn’t just a drum lesson - it was an excavation. Parkway Drive’s Ben Gordon passed on more than rudiments; he handed over the audacity to challenge one's limits, the humility to start from scratch, and the tenacity to bleed through every measure to find meaning in the beat.
National Geograhpic's Limitless Season 2 Episode 1-3 begins streaming via Disney+ and Hulu August 15th.
