Ben Gordon of Parkway Drive on Teaching Chris Hemsworth to Play Drums

With Chris Hemsworth poised to unveil his journey as an aspiring percussionist, Parkway Drive drummer Ben Gordon has offered insight into the actor’s newest role as an eager music student.

Nearly a year ago, Hemsworth surprised fans in Bucharest, Romania, by joining Ed Sheeran on stage, taking up the drumsticks despite having no formal training.

This unexpected cameo was featured in Hemsworth’s National Geographic series Limitless, in which he embraces extreme challenges to fortify both his mind and body.

As the show readies for its season premiere on August 15, Gordon—drummer for the Australian metal band Parkway Drive—has been reflecting on the experience of mentoring the Hollywood star.

“It was great fun,” Gordon told Australia’s Today Extra on August 6. “Chris and I have been mates for about seven years, ever since we met through a mutual friend in Byron Bay. When Ed challenged him to learn drums for Limitless, I was the obvious person to call—he’s my only friend who’s a professional drummer.”

Gordon initially expected to remain behind the scenes, only to discover that their lessons would become part of the final episode.

When hosts David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys asked if Hemsworth showed any natural aptitude, Gordon didn’t mince words: “He was terrible at first. What impressed me was his willingness to tackle something outside his comfort zone. Chris excels at so much, but he had zero rhythm. That made the whole journey entertaining and genuine.”

Parkway Drive formed in Byron Bay, New South Wales, in 2003 and released their debut album two years later. Their sophomore effort, Horizons (2007), became their first Australian top-ten record and reached No. 27 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers. The band enjoyed consecutive Billboard 200 entries from 2010’s Deep Blue onward, with 2015’s Ire peaking at No. 29 and marking their first No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. Most recently, their single “Sacred” arrived ahead of their upcoming LP, following the critical acclaim and ARIA Award success of 2022’s Darker Still.

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