‘Limitless’ Star Chris Hemsworth Plays Drums for Ed Sheeran Concert

Actor Chris Hemsworth. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth made a special appearance at an Ed Sheeran concert over the weekend, joining the British singer-songwriter on stage to showcase his drumming skills in front of an audience of 70,000 fans.

Ahead of the “Shape of You” singer’s concert in Bucharest, Romania, on Saturday evening, Sheeran, 33, took to social media to announce that Hemsworth, 41, had learned to play the drums for the actor’s forthcoming second season of “Limitless With Chris Hemsworth”—a joint venture between National Geographic and Disney+, which debuts next year.

“So we’re here in Bucharest. Basically, what’s happening is [that] Chris emailed me last December saying he’s doing a documentary on cognitive health and the benefits of learning an instrument,” Sheeran said in an Instagram video.

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” Hemsworth replied in the video. “It'll be nice to put this one to bed.”

In the video, Hemsworth is seen playing the drums while Sheeran performs his hit song “Thinking Out Loud,” from his 2014 sophomore album, “X.” Backstage after the show, Sheeran commended Hemsworth for his performance. “You really, really did well,” the singer said before presenting the “Thor” star with a participation award for “drumming excellence.”

On Monday, Hemsworth uploaded a video montage of himself performing on the drums during the concert. In the accompanying caption, the actor indicated that the entire experience was quite daunting.

“Maybe the most nerve racking stunt I’ve done yet for Limitless. Learn drums and play live on stage to 70,000 people,” he wrote in the caption.

‘Limitless’

The second season of “Limitless” will follow Hemsworth as he “unearths the transformative secrets of improving our lives and unlocking our greatest potential,” according to a February statement.

Throughout each episode, Hemsworth will “delve into a series of physical and mental obstacles that people across the world face daily: mental agility, pain, burnout, and interpersonal connection” in order to uncover “some of the world’s best-kept secrets to living a better life,” the statement said.

The renewal of “Limitless” follows the success of Hemsworth’s first season. Released in November 2022, the six-part docuseries chronicled the actor’s attempts to attain longevity by challenging his mind and body via a series of extreme activities, such as fasting and surfing in the frigid waters of the Norwegian Arctic.

“Millions of viewers around the world were inspired and wowed by the combination of science, endeavor and the incredibly committed Chris Hemsworth in the first season, so it’s with huge pride that we announce its return,” Tom McDonald, National Geographic’s executive vice president, said in a statement.

“This new season will have the scale, the drama and the challenges you'd expect from Limitless but we’ve also got some big and exciting surprises in store for the audience and for Chris himself.”

During the first season, Hemsworth was confronted with a rather startling health revelation. After undergoing a series of genetic tests during the fifth episode of the National Geographic series, Hemsworth learned that he had a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease. Since he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene—a set from each parent—he is eight to 10 times more likely to get the progressive disease when he is older.

Speaking with Vanity Fair in November 2022, Hemsworth said the discovery prompted him to implement lifestyle changes to help reduce his chances of developing the disease.

“The show, which initially was an exploration of longevity and, of course, should be fun, became even more relevant and important for me, even more poignant than I ever thought it would be,” he said. “It was a really good catalyst to dive into everything I needed to be doing in either the prevention front or the management front.”

In a separate statement, Hemsworth said he enjoyed taking part in the first season of “Limitless,” noting that his time on the show had been profoundly enlightening.

“Working on Limitless was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to reflect on my strengths, vulnerabilities and all the ways in which we as humans can plan toward longevity,” he said in a statement.

“For this next season, we are attempting to raise the bar and go even deeper in this exploration alongside health and wellness experts from around the globe.”