Chris Hemsworth is a talent to be reckoned with, as he proved on BBC Radio 1 with a dramatic performance of one of the great art pieces of our time: Rihanna’s "Work."

“Ahem. Work, work, work work work,” he began, pausing to allow the words to sink in. “He said me hafi work, work, work work work.” Hemsworth seemed to get a little emotional as he took a breath before the next line, “He see me, do me.”

It’s a testament to Hemsworth that he really seems to find some emotion behind the lyrics, bringing the resonance of the words to the surface as he performs. The potential disadvantage of his Australian accent, so different from the Barbadian patois that the song is performed in, transforms the lyrics. No longer are they locked into being the stuff of pop dreams, his rich baritone turns them into an actor's delight.

“Wow,” said host Nick Grimshaw when Hemsworth finished. “It was like I was at the Globe watching Shakespeare.”

“It drummed up a whole lot of feelings,” Hemsworth responded. “Makes you just want to get to work.”