Luke Hemsworth on Playing a 'Dirtbag,' MMA Sundays, and the Hemsworth Stigma

Luke Hemsworth is stepping out of the shadows of his younger brothers to embrace his inner "dirtbag." In his latest film, Beast, he plays Gabriel a gritty MMA fighter complete with a questionable goatee and snakeskin boots.

In a candid conversation, the eldest Hemsworth brother opens up about the realities of his famous last name, his secret talent for bug photography, and the time Anthony Hopkins told him to ignore his agents.

In Beast, Hemsworth plays a character he describes as looking "fair" but feeling "foul."

"It is so fun to play characters like him," Hemsworth says. "It’s nice to have permission to do and say things that give people the 'ick.'" He even wore his own boots for the role and kept one of the character's suits for future premieres.

Despite the Hollywood glamour, life remains grounded in physical competition. Sundays are reserved for "UFC Sunday" at one of the brothers' houses.

Training: Luke has trained in boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Muay Thai for years—initially to protect himself from his "idiot brothers" growing up.

The Wrestling Rivalry: "Liam will tell you he’s never been beaten at wrestling, but don’t believe a single word he says!" Luke jokes.

The 'Short' One: At 45, Luke remains fit (recently nailing a front flip for his daughter), but says the biggest stigma of the family name is being mistaken for his brothers. "Every now and then someone calls me Liam. I actually got introduced at the Beast premiere as Liam Hemsworth!"

Hemsworth shared a memorable breakfast with Sir Anthony Hopkins, who offered blunt career advice: "Do what you want. Why are you listening to the agents?"

He also expressed deep respect for Russell Crowe, calling him a "powerhouse" who saved 200 jobs on the set of Poker Face when the production nearly collapsed.

A childhood fear of The Exorcist came full circle for Luke when he recently adopted a rescue dog, Blu, from a foundation run by the film’s star, Linda Blair. "Linda Blair proceeded to bring out about 75 different dogs. We took home the first one we went to see."