IN HOLLYWOOD
EXPERIENCE
Hemsworth graduates high school and lays floors for six months before following in his older brothers' footsteps and pursuing acting. He soon lands guest roles on Home and Away and McLeod's Daughters. But he gets his big break playing paraplegic Josh Taylor on the Aussie soap Neighbours.
Hemsworth moves to Los Angeles to audition for the title role in Thor but ultimately loses to his brother Chris. Weeks later, Hemsworth is cast opposite teen queen Miley Cyrus in the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks's novel The Last Song. Soon after production wraps in Georgia, Hemsworth and Cyrus are caught kissing. "We were filming together every day, and hanging out every day," Hemsworth says of the budding romance. "We really didn't have any other friends down there, so we just hung out with each other."
Now a bona fide couple, Hemsworth and Cyrus premiere The Last Song to poor reviews. The film finds an audience among Cyrus's tween fans, who propel Hemsworth to teen heartthrob status. Though the pair splits twice in the coming year, they eventually reunite in September.
Hemsworth nabs a role of a lifetime, playing Katniss's (Jennifer Lawrence) righteous childhood confidante Gale in The Hunger Games, the hotly anticipated trilogy based on Suzanne Collins's popular young adult books. "He is extremely passionate about standing up for what he believes in, which has always been a strong part of my life," the actor says of his character.
The Hunger Games rakes in more than $251 million during its first 10 days at the box office, besting the competition two weeks in a row. With the success of the film, Hemsworth tells Men's Health he's adapting to his newfound fame: "I get nervous in malls at the moment, going there on my own. I stay away from malls as best I can. But I guess it'd be nice to be able to walk through a mall without anyone seeing me. Is that too much to ask, or too stupid?"
After rumors of an engagement swell, Hemsworth, 22, announces that he popped the question to Cyrus on May 31 with a 3.5-carat diamond ring from jeweler Neil Lane. "I'm so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam," the bride-to-be, 19, tells PEOPLE.
Following months of speculation, reps for Hemsworth and Cyrus confirm the end of the couple's engagement. The news comes hot on the heels of the singer's latest interview with Harper's Bazaar, in which she says, "I definitely don't have time to deal with a wedding right now."
A day after his split goes public, Hemsworth is spotted locking lips with Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez, whom he met over the weekend in Las Vegas while taking in the Floyd Mayweather/Canelo Alvare fight. The pair reportedly flirted into the early morning hours and looked "coupley" at several nightclubs, before bringing their romance home to L.A.
Hemsworth reprises his role as Gale in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, in which his character must fight for the heart of best friend Katniss while also preparing for revolution. The big budget sequel breaks box office records with its release, grossing nearly $300 million in just 10 days.