January 9, 2012:
In promotion for the UK release of War Horse, Tom Hiddleston spent the day with Empire Magazine. Together, they hosted a webchat with hundreds of questions from fans. Surprisingly, I feel like if we asked these questions today - he would give many of the same answers. Tom revealed his favorite foods, his guilty pleasure, what role gave him his mojo back, and his wish list of projects and people to work with.
I posted some of my favorite answers below and you can read the full transcript here
wingedhelm says: So Tom, I’m about to ask you two extremely serious and important questions. What is you favorite pudding? And how do you take your tea? As a fellow Brit, you know how important that last question is.
That’s a huge question. My favorite pudding is a toss-up between cheesecake – proper, New York cheesecake – and apple crumble and custard. Custard is very important, or dark chocolate mousse. Tea: probably Earl Grey, splash of milk.
Kathen says: Hi Tom, just wondering what’s your favourite sandwich?
I quite like there to be avocado involved in some capacity, and wholegrain mustard, and chicken. Failing that, there’s nothing wrong with cheese and pickle.
Blink182010 says: Favorite film of all time?
Heat. Because it can withstand so many repeated viewings and every time I find something new in it. And I think De Niro and Pacino are both at the very height of their powers. That scene in the cafe, right at the centre of the film, is what acting’s all about. High stakes and perfect understatement.
eibhlinbrennan says: What’s your guilty pleasure? (crap TV? bonbons? anything?)
Really cheesy dance music from the 90s. Or a double-bill of Kindergarten Cop and Twins.
ILoveLoki says: Are you watching any TV shows at the moment? Do you have any you would recommend?
Sherlock’s great. And back in the day I was a complete 24 addict. I used to buy box sets and I think I got as far as season 5 before I realized I hadn’t seen daylight in a while.
selinavalentine says: What’s your favourite country/city to travel to?
It’s pretty easy, this one. I do love Italy, and I’ve had some very special times there. I remember a weekend in Rome with my girlfriend just after I left university that was entirely magical and felt like it was straight out of an Italian romance, touched by Fellini.
BriannaValdez says: I know you’re a lover of Shakespeare (as am I). Which play of his is your favourite? If you could play any Shakespeare character, which one would it be?
I do love Othello, because it’s a forensic examination of jealousy and power, and the delicacy of being in love with somebody. If you’re uncertain in your affection and in their affection for you, you can so easily be turned and possessed by the green-eyed monster of jealousy, which eats you up and ultimately destroys the love that was there in the first place. Also, it’s got some of the most heart-attack poetry that’s ever been written in the English language.
Melissa Rocha says: Is there anyone you’d like to play in a biopic?
Gene Wilder.
Marina_from_Asgard says: You have worked with some really great directors (Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen). Is there another director you would like to work with?
How long have you got? I'm such a cinephile and movie lover that I see as much as I can, and the list is about as long as...it's very long. Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jacques Audiard, Tim Burton, Joel and Ethan Coen, Nicolas Winding Refn, Tomas Alfredson... there are so many. Peter Weir too. Julian Schnabel. I'd love to work with someone whose visual sense is very different from mine, but as far as the list goes already, I'm the luckiest guy in the world.
Kamospam says: Would you consider yourself a cat or dog person?
I’ve been both, but save one very special cat, I’m a dog person.
SuperEllen says: What was your favorite movie of 2011?It’s a toss-up between The Tree Of Life, Bridesmaids, Warrior, Drive and The Help.
Hannah Yeskel says: If you weren't an actor, what career would you like to try?
I'd love to be a cowboy. Sometimes I think I might give up the whole game and move to a ranch and herd cattle.
Jenna says: Would you be interested in getting behind the camera and directing one day?
If anyone were to give me the money and the trust, I’d love to. I feel like, having worked with five different directors in the space of 18-months, more than ever that actors are part of a director’s toolbox in expressing his or her perspective on the world. And I feel I have lots of my own stories to tell, which I’d love to be able to do one day. I’m also really interested in the actual jigsaw puzzle of filmmaking. The visual sensibility, music and editing. I was always badgering Kenneth Branagh on Thor to explain all the CGI technology to me.
Blanche says: You are an amazing Loki, but I loved you also in theatre: Cymbeline, Othello, Ivanov. Will you return on stage? A hug from Pisa!
Thank you very much, Blanche. I’m so proud of those shows. They taught me so much about acting and Cymbeline, it sounds strange to say this, but that was where I found my mojo again. I can’t wait to get back to the theater. I’m just waiting for the right thing and the right time.
Arileli says: Do you have something to say to your fans, The Hiddlestoners?
You are amazing and I love you all.
Evil_Twin says: Seven people against one in the avengers… how is that fair?
I’m a god. Re-calibrate your statistics.
Lidy says: I haven’t seen a better interpretation of a villain than Loki since the Joker. What inspired you to interpret your character?
Well, in the comics Loki has so many different faces, and the thing that inspired both myself and Ken Branagh was his mixture of emotional psychological complexity, and the speed of his mind. So you have somebody who’s capable of thinking and strategizing at the speed of light, but underneath that is a deep well of pain that at any moment threatens to boil over.
redreed says: Having worked on Thor and, of course, The Avengers, how do you think the Americans are responding to the fact that amazing British actors are playing superheroes – the most quintessential roles America has produced?
Maybe it’s because we’re cheap and grateful!
War Horse Questions:
MoJo16 says: Did you read the book before you started working on War Horse? I’ve loved it for years and am so glad it’s been made into a film
I’d seen the show in the West End, which had made me cry like a lost child. Then, once I was cast in the film I read the book as part of basic research. I also think Michael Morpurgo is an incredible man, and the whole story is written with his artistic heartbeat.
I’d seen the show in the West End, which had made me cry like a lost child. Then, once I was cast in the film I read the book as part of basic research. I also think Michael Morpurgo is an incredible man, and the whole story is written with his artistic heartbeat.
redreed says: Having worked on Thor and, of course, The Avengers, how do you think the Americans are responding to the fact that amazing British actors are playing superheroes – the most quintessential roles America has produced?
Maybe it’s because we’re cheap and grateful!
Maybe it’s because we’re cheap and grateful!
THFan says: What was the most surprising thing about working with the legendary Spielberg?
How exceptionally kind he is. I would have forgiven him all kinds of grandeur because he’s one of my childhood heroes, but he’s so incredibly humble and generous and collaborative, and the most inspiring thing about him is that, at his age, with his stature and standing in the film business, he genuinely is still as curious and excited as I think he was when he made his first film.
How exceptionally kind he is. I would have forgiven him all kinds of grandeur because he’s one of my childhood heroes, but he’s so incredibly humble and generous and collaborative, and the most inspiring thing about him is that, at his age, with his stature and standing in the film business, he genuinely is still as curious and excited as I think he was when he made his first film.
serena3515 says: Hi from Italy! What was it like to work with Benedict Cumberbatch? Would you like to work with him again in the future?
Hello from England. It was great, fantastic to work with Ben. He is having such an incredible moment in the sun, and I think is at the top of his game. He’s been in this business for 15 years, and I remember when I was still in drama school going to watch him in theatre in a production of Hedda Gabler and thinking to myself, I hope he gets the success he deserves. When we were training to be cavalry officers, I think after our first week of training, the first episode of Sherlock aired on television, and it was amazing to be alongside him watching his life change.
Hello from England. It was great, fantastic to work with Ben. He is having such an incredible moment in the sun, and I think is at the top of his game. He’s been in this business for 15 years, and I remember when I was still in drama school going to watch him in theatre in a production of Hedda Gabler and thinking to myself, I hope he gets the success he deserves. When we were training to be cavalry officers, I think after our first week of training, the first episode of Sherlock aired on television, and it was amazing to be alongside him watching his life change.
Food Questions:
That’s a huge question. My favorite pudding is a toss-up between cheesecake – proper, New York cheesecake – and apple crumble and custard. Custard is very important, or dark chocolate mousse. Tea: probably Earl Grey, splash of milk.
Kathen says: Hi Tom, just wondering what’s your favourite sandwich?
I quite like there to be avocado involved in some capacity, and wholegrain mustard, and chicken. Failing that, there’s nothing wrong with cheese and pickle.
Personal Questions and Favorites:
Blink182010 says: Favorite film of all time?
Heat. Because it can withstand so many repeated viewings and every time I find something new in it. And I think De Niro and Pacino are both at the very height of their powers. That scene in the cafe, right at the centre of the film, is what acting’s all about. High stakes and perfect understatement.
eibhlinbrennan says: What’s your guilty pleasure? (crap TV? bonbons? anything?)
Really cheesy dance music from the 90s. Or a double-bill of Kindergarten Cop and Twins.
ILoveLoki says: Are you watching any TV shows at the moment? Do you have any you would recommend?
Sherlock’s great. And back in the day I was a complete 24 addict. I used to buy box sets and I think I got as far as season 5 before I realized I hadn’t seen daylight in a while.
selinavalentine says: What’s your favourite country/city to travel to?
It’s pretty easy, this one. I do love Italy, and I’ve had some very special times there. I remember a weekend in Rome with my girlfriend just after I left university that was entirely magical and felt like it was straight out of an Italian romance, touched by Fellini.
BriannaValdez says: I know you’re a lover of Shakespeare (as am I). Which play of his is your favourite? If you could play any Shakespeare character, which one would it be?
I do love Othello, because it’s a forensic examination of jealousy and power, and the delicacy of being in love with somebody. If you’re uncertain in your affection and in their affection for you, you can so easily be turned and possessed by the green-eyed monster of jealousy, which eats you up and ultimately destroys the love that was there in the first place. Also, it’s got some of the most heart-attack poetry that’s ever been written in the English language.
Melissa Rocha says: Is there anyone you’d like to play in a biopic?
Gene Wilder.
Marina_from_Asgard says: You have worked with some really great directors (Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen). Is there another director you would like to work with?
How long have you got? I'm such a cinephile and movie lover that I see as much as I can, and the list is about as long as...it's very long. Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jacques Audiard, Tim Burton, Joel and Ethan Coen, Nicolas Winding Refn, Tomas Alfredson... there are so many. Peter Weir too. Julian Schnabel. I'd love to work with someone whose visual sense is very different from mine, but as far as the list goes already, I'm the luckiest guy in the world.
Kamospam says: Would you consider yourself a cat or dog person?
I’ve been both, but save one very special cat, I’m a dog person.
SuperEllen says: What was your favorite movie of 2011?It’s a toss-up between The Tree Of Life, Bridesmaids, Warrior, Drive and The Help.
Hannah Yeskel says: If you weren't an actor, what career would you like to try?
I'd love to be a cowboy. Sometimes I think I might give up the whole game and move to a ranch and herd cattle.
Jenna says: Would you be interested in getting behind the camera and directing one day?
If anyone were to give me the money and the trust, I’d love to. I feel like, having worked with five different directors in the space of 18-months, more than ever that actors are part of a director’s toolbox in expressing his or her perspective on the world. And I feel I have lots of my own stories to tell, which I’d love to be able to do one day. I’m also really interested in the actual jigsaw puzzle of filmmaking. The visual sensibility, music and editing. I was always badgering Kenneth Branagh on Thor to explain all the CGI technology to me.
Blanche says: You are an amazing Loki, but I loved you also in theatre: Cymbeline, Othello, Ivanov. Will you return on stage? A hug from Pisa!
Thank you very much, Blanche. I’m so proud of those shows. They taught me so much about acting and Cymbeline, it sounds strange to say this, but that was where I found my mojo again. I can’t wait to get back to the theater. I’m just waiting for the right thing and the right time.
Arileli says: Do you have something to say to your fans, The Hiddlestoners?
You are amazing and I love you all.
Loki Questions:
Evil_Twin says: Seven people against one in the avengers… how is that fair?
I’m a god. Re-calibrate your statistics.
Lidy says: I haven’t seen a better interpretation of a villain than Loki since the Joker. What inspired you to interpret your character?
Well, in the comics Loki has so many different faces, and the thing that inspired both myself and Ken Branagh was his mixture of emotional psychological complexity, and the speed of his mind. So you have somebody who’s capable of thinking and strategizing at the speed of light, but underneath that is a deep well of pain that at any moment threatens to boil over.
redreed says: Having worked on Thor and, of course, The Avengers, how do you think the Americans are responding to the fact that amazing British actors are playing superheroes – the most quintessential roles America has produced?
Maybe it’s because we’re cheap and grateful!
Benedict also joined in on the Empire action. You can watch all the bro-mantic love below. They make a lot of great points about World War I.
Tom finished his day with a preview screening and Q&A for War Horse at the Hackney Picturehouse.
Fashion:
Tom Hiddleston wore his slightly modified Emporio Armani Fall 2011 suit.
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