Chris Hemsworth Made His Acting Debut As King Arthur In A Modern Fantasy TV Show

Best known for playing the Norse God of Thunder, Thor, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Hemsworth got his start in acting playing a different mythological figure on a TV series that brought the Arthurian legend into the modern world.

"Guinevere Jones," which first aired on YTV in Canada and Network Ten in Australia in 2002, followed the modern day reincarnation of Guinevere, the legendary wife of King Arthur. On the underrated fantasy series created by Elizabeth Stewart, Guinevere had been reborn as Gwen Jones, a 14-year-old Canadian girl now living in Australia, played by Tamara Hope. The show followed Gwen's adventures under the tutelage of Merlin, projecting himself forwards through time to teach her how to use magic and guide her in the ongoing fight against evil and the sorceress Morgana La Faye. While the story primarily took place in a modern day setting, it also featured occasional flashbacks to Gwen's past life as Queen Guinevere of Camelot. In these flashbacks, a fresh-faced Hemsworth in a flowing brunette wig made fleeting appearances Guinevere's husband, King Arthur. 

Hemsworth appeared on only two episodes of "Guinevere Jones:" The series premiere, "Hard Rain," and the ninth episode of the first season, "Love Hurts." Fans hoping for an early sign of the MCU star's acting chops should temper their expectations, though. Unlike the fan-favorite fantasy series "Merlin," Hemsworth's King Arthur was barely a character, and only had momentary cameos with no dialogue. Despite the long hair, cape and period costume, this early 2000s fantasy show featured a very different role for the man who would be Thor.

It's hard to imagine humbler beginnings for an actor who has become one of the most recognized movie stars in the world. "Guinevere Jones" looked distinctly low budget and Hemsworth only cropped up twice, in silence. He wasn't even correctly credited in the first episode, with his name appearing in the credits as "Chris Helmsworth." The same year as his role on "Guinevere Jones," Hemsworth went on to appear on an episode of classic Australian soap opera, "Neighbors." Two years later, he became a regular on Australia's other major soap, "Home and Away." By 2009, the actor was lighting up the big screen in J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek," before eventually landing his career-defining role in 2011's "Thor."

Hemsworth discussed his humble beginnings on "Guinevere Jones" in an interview for Wired. The actor referred to his turn as King Arthur as being "cast as somewhat of an extra," recalling his "lovely dark red-brown wig." While the role was minuscule compared to his more recent work, the actor spoke about being impressed by his first time on set, saying, "That was cool. That was just like, whoa, I'm on a movie set –- or a TV set –- this is what it feels like, because it's my big break." Hemsworth went on to note still feeling like "a deer in the headlights" on his next acting job, years before he would become part of the bedrock of the MCU.