I am Loki, of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious socks.
A comprehensive look at Tom Hiddleston, his events, his work, and his outfits...and the occasional fundraiser.
Tom Hiddleston was interviewed by the Telegraph's Ajesh Patalay for one of his first major profile pieces. 2008 was a pivotal year for Tom; he performed in Othello alongside Chiwetel Ejiofer and Ewan McGregor, won an Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play, was chosen as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow, and had his "Hiddleston year" with Kenneth Branagh in Wallander and Ivanov (which turned into a Hiddleston decade). In the interview Tom Hiddleston talks about his hesitation to become an actor because "it seemed too mysterious and precarious a life to commit to." He finally made the decision to become an actor after acquiring an agent at Cambridge; "at that point I allowed myself to want to be an actor as much as I think I'd always wanted to be." After graduating, Tom went to RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) for more training so he wouldn't be typecasted: "I didn't want to just be the Brideshead guy, to spend the rest of my life wearing waistcoats. I got the chance to try everything. Not just Romeos, but pimps and grandfathers and even one roles as a woman in a Naomi Wallace play called Slaughter City." There also are some great quotes about Tom in the article: "Very talented, very charming, aristocratic hair." - a contemporary from RADA "Remember that name. One day that lad is going to be a star, and deservedly so." - A theatre critic after seeing Cymbeline. "Tom has a number of things that come very naturally to him. His height, his look, how he carries himself. Plus he has an exceptional ear for making language that is 450 years old sound alive, which is why I cast him in Othello. The reason he is in Ivanov is that I enjoyed working with him so much and found to my delight how astonishingly versatile he is. He is clearly one of our younger actors who is going places. But in his head he seems to be taking everything at a good pace. That's what I love about him." - Michael Grandage, the artistic director of Donmar Warehouse 2002-2012. Tom was photographed by Julieta Sans in London for the magazine.
The title of the profile was Not Just A Romeo but coincidentally Tom Hiddleston did also play Romeo while a student at Cambridge.
Marvel skipped San Diego Comic Con in order to premiere The Avengers at the Disney D23 Expo (Comic Con exclusively for Disney projects). Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Colbie Smulders, Tom Hiddleston, and Kevin Feige were all on hand to debut new footage and secrets from the film. They showed two scenes during the panel; Fury and Loki's real power conversation, along with Tony Stark and Loki's I have an army conversation.
The cast joined up with Rich Ross (Chairman of Walt Disney Studios) and MT Carney (President of Marketing for Walt Disney) in the press line. Tom also posed with Jason Segel who starred in How I Met Your Mother with Colbie Smulders.
Tom talks about his love for grilled chicken sandwiches from Chilis and going toe-to-toe with every superhero.
Also, The Avengers were quite handsy during the press interviews - that's why they keep us all separate!
Tom Hiddleston took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge. The Ice Bucket Challenge helped to promote awareness for and encourage donations to ALS (aka Motor Neuron Disease) research. The 2014 Challenge ended up raising $115 million! Basic Rules:
ACCEPT: Accept the challenge;
RECORD: Take a video of yourself dumping a bucket of ice water over your head to increase awareness of ALS;
UPLOAD: Upload your video to social media, tagging/challenging at least three of your friends;
GIVE: Make a donation to support the ALS community.
Tom Hiddleston was challenged by Nathan Fillion. When asked why he picked Tom, Nathan said, "I did that for the ladies. You're welcome." (Thank you!)
Tom originally posted the video of his Ice Bucket Challenge to his WhoSay account but that platform shutdown earlier this year. I have no idea who was in charge of filming/editing Tom's video (Luke probably) but whoever added the slo-mo deserved an Oscar - all the Oscars!!!
Tom went on the challenge Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, and Helena Bonham Carter. Benedict, who played Stephen Hawking (an ALS/MND sufferer), went on the do the Ice Bucket Challenge five times in his video.
Fashion:
I'm also giving out an Oscar for Costume Design to Reiss for that white shirt.
ps: These shorts are the top item on my ufo (unidentified item) list. Most of Tom Hiddleston's exercise/loungewear comes from Nike but there's no sign of the Nike logo on any part of the shorts. Armani also has an athleisure line but again they are missing the trademark logo. If anyone has any idea let me know - I will send you a present!
Tom Hiddleston posted several tweets about a new app created by Allie Esiri, The Look Book. The Love Book is an interactive app where you can read, listen to, and even record your own words on love. Tom Hiddleston, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Damian Lewis, and Helen McCrory are some of the actors who lent their voices to the project. As far as I can tell the app is no longer available on android but can still be downloaded on iOS devices.
(Tom and Allie Esiri)
Tom Hiddleston did most of the recording for the App in July 2013. An audio clip of Tom reading Byron's So We'll Go No More A-Roving is available on their youtube.(my personal favorite Tom reading from the app is Desiderata by Max Ehrmann).
Prior to The Love Book App Tom worked with Allie Esiri on the iF Poems App. You can listen to Tom read Bright Star by John Keats and If Music Be the Food of Love from Twelfth Night by Shakespeare the iF Poems page.
(Tom and Helena)
Allie spoke to Wow Now Magazine to discuss how the apps came together and how she chose the actors:
I asked Helena primarily because she's so good and also because I know her. She suggested Bill Nighy, so I approached his agent, and rather amazingly he came! He really likes poetry at the beginning of creating iF Poems, it was just the two of them. It was good to have a comedian - Harry Enfield - for funny poems. Tom Hiddleston was suggested to me by Helena and Tim. Another friend of mine, a theatrical agent who represents Rachel Weisz, had gone to visit Rachel when she was filming The Deep Blue Sea. She remember Tom reading Rachel some poems, so I thought: He likes poetry! For The Love Book, I had Helena asking me, "Do you want me to come in [to record audio for The Love Book]?" Tom told me [working on these apps] is one of his favourite things to do. I also asked Helen McCrory and Gina Bellman. They all said yes. I think many actors like poetry, and they all believed in my mission to make poetry more accessible. 10% of sales goes to Save the Children for both apps, and Helena is actually an ambassador for them.
Tom Hiddleston made the best of his time in Cleveland by going to a Cleveland Browns pre-season game. Cleveland won 27-17 over the Green Bay Packers. Later that month he also threw out the first pitch at a Cleveland Indians game. Tom was in Cleveland filming The Avengers. He spoke about his time there in a later interview: We worked long hours, but I had Sundays off. I went for a run around the football stadium. The Browns, right? And that was a lot of fun. I even got to go to a Browns game. They were fantastic, and they won." Tom with a member of the Browns staff.
Having recently been nominated for an Emmy, Tom Hiddleston jumped back on the promo trail for The Night Manager taking part in several Facebook Q&As. I highlighted some of the best quotes but I always recommend watching the full interviews yourself.
LA Times Q&A with Yvonne Villarreal
(2:30) How does it feel to win Rear of the Year? Sometimes the universe hands you something on a plate which you didn't expect, and for me it was the Rear of the Year award. I'm very proud. My parents are very proud.
(15:30) Tom on which persona is closest to who Pine really is: I think he's Jonathan Pine but I think what happens when he creates those other identities; Jack Linden or Thomas Quince or Andrew Birch, they bring out other aspects of his character. Andrew Bitch is very charming. He's an extrovert. He wears beautiful suits. He's the front man of the operation and that's what Roper wants. He wants this impeccably charming, charismatic, witty man to be his front man. But Pine has more edge I think, and he's more intelligent. I think Pine at the end of episode six is very different from the Pine you meet at the beginning of episode one.
(16:50) Do you think you could put your life on the line like Pine? I don't think I could. I think he does something extraordinarily brave, which is essentially to agree to sell his life away, to sell his identity... he surrenders his identity in service of this higher cause and that obligation means living without the privilege of intimate relationships, having no shoulder to cry on, no one to tell your story, no one to be intimate with in any way... I find that bravery and courage incredibly romantic. He chooses to live without the things that we all take for granted...
(20:00) Tom Hiddleston gives his version of the Jellyfish Incident with Tom Hollander.
(13:10) What is Pine's song? An actor has an emotional thing to do, which is literally living in a different space. Music is such an evocative form of expression and it takes you immediately to that place in your mind. As Pine I would listen to a lot of soundtracks. There's a track from Black Hawk Down called Ashes to Ashes... and also the score to Bourne Ultimatum.
(15:50) If Pine were in the Olympics what would be his sport? a middle distance runner
(16:30) What skill are you aching to develop? I do feel like that's the unspoken great privilege of actors is that they get to learn all this cool stuff with the excuse that it's for work... I don't know how to scuba dive.
(21:10) Tom on why his scene was cut from Age of Ultron: As they were testing the film, the initial audiences were like "Oh Loki's controlling Ultron"... they just thought it was confusing.
(22:50) Jenelle teaches Tom about snapchat
(28:00) Tom talks about exploring Vietnam and riding an angry bird with his Kong: Skull Island castmates.
(31:34) What's the hardest role you've ever played and why? Hank Williams no question. There was so much about that that was foreign territory for me. It was a 40s Alabama accent, extreme alcoholism, a musical talent that has become iconic in American culture, weight loss, the ferocity of the script, the self destructive instincts he had, singing, playing... all of those things were things I'd never really touched before.
(35:58) What's your favorite Shakespeare role? The thing about his writing is that it speaks to you at every stage of your life. So that when you're young you really empathize with the passion and rebelliousness of a character like Romeo or Hamlet but then as you get older you become more in touch with the more mature characters...
(39:40) What are you doing next? I don't officially know that yet.. I feel so genuinely grateful that I have been allowed to do so many different, various things. That's everything I dreamed of. When I became an actor almost 20 years ago now I dreamed of having a career which would involve lots of variety... That's probably what I'm trying to do next is find what's unexpected.
(43:00) Tom takes a quiz to determine which Marvel villain he is. *he's not Loki*
The Hollywood Reporter Q&A with Scott Feinberg
(2:38) What connection did Tom feel with Pine? I found his moral compass and his sense of courage very inspiring and moving. I think he's incredibly romantic. The idea that he's brave enough to stand up for something..
(14:26) What motivates you during your acting? The pure desire for the work to be as good as it can be. I care so much about it. I care so much about film and television. I feel like this job is the one I've always wanted to do. I feel so lucky that I get to do it. Once I'm on set I just want it to be the best it can be.
(17:00) What character from any book or film would you like to play? I used to have a list when I was younger of all the characters I dreamed of playing and the characters I've ended up playing have all been far more interesting than any of those. So I've since learned that there's no point in making lists or plans and you just sort of try to welcome the surprises as they come.
(19:15) What have you learned about the culture of celebrity? I've learned that there are many sides to a story, and that sometimes there are a lot of stories out there which are false and the hardest thing is to try to not let those falsehoods affect your own life.
(20:54) Do you have any aspirations to direct or write? If i'm allowed, I would love that. It's something I feel I don't have the hubris to jump into just yet. But my love for movies and television is: I'm interested in the bigger picture, and I feel that actors are a huge part of that but my passion really is for performance. I can't help it when I'm on set - I'm excited about the shots, where the camera is, and how the story's being told so yeah maybe one day. We'll see.
(21:45) When will we see you in a romcom or a comedy? I would love to do either of those things. I do think that a romcom is possibly one the hardest things to really get right because the best ones have a truthfulness about them... (his favorite romcom) Four Weddings and A Funeral and Pretty Woman.
(22:57) Who are your acting heroes? Marlon Brando, Daniel Day Lewis, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Alan Rickman, Anthony Hopkins.
Scott also refers to a podcast several times during the Q&A - you can listen to the Awards Chatter podcast with Tom Hiddleston here.
Deadline Q&A with Dominic Patten
(2:50) Tom on creating Pine: I'm fascinated by the multiplicity of identity. I think we contain multitudes... as a soldier and a night manager he is someone who has hidden behind the anonymity of uniform and what happens to Sophie in Episode One is something that challenges him to make a commitment, the kind of commitment he's never made... he has to acknowledge the side of himself that is dark. In order to move towards the light, he has to embrace his darkness.
(4:25) Tom on his evolution as an actor: I think I read in a different way in terms of looking into the future and what I want to do. I think about the projects I want to do in a different way. I'm not just looking for roles, I'm interested in what the entire piece says. I'm interested in the story and it's resonance in our contemporary world because I found The Night Manager so satisfying. It's raised the bar a bit for me.
(8:50) On a possible The Night Manager sequel: It's in the lap of Le Carre and his sons. I feel so connected to Pine and his predicament that I would be interested to see where he might go next. I think that it has a resonance with people who have served in high stress environments and the difficulty of re-adapting to come back into the world. That would be an interesting thing to explore.
(14:00) On I Saw the Light and performing for country music fans: People are very protective of Hank. He's an icon. He's a figurehead. He has become an emblem of something about America that people feel is very important, and authentically American. I had to get my hands in the dirt of that. I had to get my hands dirty, roll up my sleeves, and do the work... the relationship is very sacred in a live space. I think any performer with attest to that. There's something magical about the moment which is; we're all here in this one room and I'm gonna tell you a story. I might tell you in song, I might tell you in words but we're all in this room together. That chemistry is always electric and I was surprised to find it familiar.
For his interview with Deadline Tom wore his Polo Ralph Lauren suit - he also did his photoshoot with The Wrap on this day and in the same outfit. For his interview with Deadline Tom wore a Gucci Signoria wool suit which he also wore to the SAG-AFTRA Conversation.
These interviews were the first time we saw Tom Hiddleston wearing Gucci outside of photoshoots. It wouldn't be announced for another month but Tom had just signed on as the new face of the Gucci tailoring campaign.
The Disney D23 Expo is like a Comic Con exclusively for Disney projects.
Day One: The Pirate Fairy
Tom Hiddleston was joined by Jenni Magee-Cook (producer), John Lassetter (COO of Disney-Pixar), Christina Hendrix (Zarina), and Peggy Holmes (director) for an exclusive look at The Pirate Fairy. Tom voices a young Captain Hook in the animated film.
Tom Hiddleston, Christina Hendrix, and Peggy Holmes took part in a panel for the film. Tom describes his character as "educated and polite and energetic and charming and attentive... you realize that it's all an act. He's covering for his ruthless and cunning nature". (tbh this could describe just about every character he has played) Tom also mentioned that the Jungle Book was his favorite film and he used Bare Necessities for his audition at RADA so of course he delighted the audience by singing the chorus!
Tom had a portrait session with Denise Truscello.
Day Two: The Dark World
Tom was joined by Kevin Feige (Marvel President), Alan Taylor (Director), Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), and Louis D'Esposito (Executive Producer) to discuss Thor: The Dark World.
"Tom, please. I don't intend on making you kneel." On the red carpet. Tom Hiddleston talked about the physical challenges of performing stunts in a 25lb costume and Loki being able to show off his expertise on the battlefield.
Tom at the Thor: The Dark World press conference.
Fashion:
Tom Hiddleston dressed down his Emporio Armani three-piece suit from the 2012 BIFA Awards for Day One and returned in another peak lapel Armani suit for Day 2.
