41-year-old Tom Hiddleston became known as part of the Marvel universe, playing the god of mischief Loki. Along with many high-profile film roles, his television credits include The Hollow Crown and The Night Manager, for which he received two Emmy nominations. In 2021, he began participating in the spin-off series of Disney + Loki.
What was it like to make the transition from the big to the small screen in your first Marvel spin-off? I was just really honored to be asked. We all wanted to keep the integrity of the character – I wanted to make sure we didn’t lose the parts that people loved while doing something new. I also hope that Loki came out as bisexual, it mattered to the people who noticed him. It was a small step and there is still work to be done. But it was definitely important to all of us.
Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Avengers Assemble: “I wanted to make sure we didn’t lose the songs that people loved” Photo: Marvel Studios / Allstar
What would you do if you weren’t an actor? I think there would be something very rewarding in teaching. I would teach drama or Shakespeare.
Have you ever been confused with someone else? I was mistaken for Michael Fassbender once in New York. The man who stopped me was really disappointed – it was just so awkward and uncomfortable. I said, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, let’s just both pretend it never happened.” I didn’t tell him I was an actor.
What is your TV guilty pleasure? Blackadder. I watched it when I took out my tonsils, when I was about 12 or 13 years old and it really cheered me up. Going back to it now, it has this nostalgic quality.
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What do you eat in front of the TV? I don’t eat much in front of the TV. But chocolate digestif with a cup of tea is a winner, especially in winter.
If your life was a TV show, what would the title be? Keep calm and keep going [laughs]. Jumping from here to there. Or just keep swimming… that’s a line from Finding Nemo, right?
What makes you reach for the remote (to turn off the TV)? Sometimes you just have to spread the news. Which doesn’t mean we don’t have to know what’s going on, but you have to have a limit.
Who is the most famous person in your phone contacts? The Avengers. I think they are quite famous?
Are you from the Succession Shiv or Team Tom team? I find this relationship excruciatingly painful. This is a difficult call. Should I choose one of them? Shiv could have been more considerate and generous to Tom, but you can see how much brutality has been invested in this family’s experience.
The Virgin Media Bafta TV Awards are on BBC One on Sunday, May 8 at 18:00. Loki is available at Disney +
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