Ed Sheeran handed over drumming duties to Chris Hemsworth during a sold-out stadium concert in Bucharest, Romania last year, allowing the actor to perform “Thinking Out Loud” in front of 70,000 people despite having no prior drumming experience just months earlier.
The extraordinary moment forms part of National Geographic’s Limitless: Live Better Now series, with an exclusive clip revealing Hemsworth’s nerve-wracking experience behind the drum kit during one of the evening’s biggest songs, according to Rolling Stone.
The episode, titled “Brain Power”, premieres on August 15th on Disney+ and Hulu, followed by a National Geographic broadcast on 25th August.
“When the bass starts, the piano, the guitar, everything hits at the same time,” Hemsworth explains in the preview footage. “And if I’m off, it’s all off.” The pressure of performing live to such a massive audience clearly weighed on the actor’s mind as he prepared to take his place behind the drums.
The collaboration began when Hemsworth reached out to Sheeran in December regarding his documentary work on cognitive health and the benefits of learning musical instruments. Sheeran explained the backstory in an Instagram video posted before the August 2024 concert: “Basically what happened is Chris emailed me last December saying he was doing a documentary on cognitive health and the benefits of learning an instrument. He came to visit me, and he has learned drums. So he’s going to come onstage in front of 70,000 [people].”
During the performance itself, Hemsworth found himself drawing on pure determination and adrenaline to maintain his composure. “I look around, and Ed’s still relaxed. I’m like, just make sure you’re concentrating on what you’re doing,” he recalls. “I’m encouraging and welcoming the adrenaline at this point.”
The most challenging moment came during the pre-chorus section, where Hemsworth admits feeling nerves surface before managing to push them aside. Sheeran’s confidence and the crowd’s energy helped maintain the performance’s momentum throughout the song.
Limitless: Live Better Now sees Hemsworth exploring various physical and mental challenges beyond his musical endeavours, including conquering the Swiss Alps and training with special forces. “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,” Hemsworth stated in a press release. “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.”
