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Tom Hiddleston

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Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Hiddleston at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International
Born Thomas William Hiddleston
(1981-02-09) 9 February 1981 (age 43)
Westminster, London, England
Education Dragon School
Eton College
Alma mater
Occupation Actor
Years active 2001–present
Home town Wimbledon, London, England
Oxford, England
Signature
Tom Hiddleston Sign.png

Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), and Thor: The Dark World (2013). He has also appeared in Steven Spielberg's War Horse (2011), The Deep Blue Sea (2011), Woody Allen's romantic comedy Midnight in Paris (2011), the 2012 BBC series Henry IV and Henry V, and the romantic vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive (2013). In theatre, he has been in the productions of Cymbeline (2007) and Ivanov (2008). In December 2013 he starred as the title character in the Donmar Warehouse production of Coriolanus which played until February 2014. The following year, he starred in Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak and in Ben Wheatley's 2015 adaptation of the novel High-Rise. In 2016, he portrayed the title role in the 2016 thriller miniseries The Night Manager to positive critical reviews.

He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his role in Cymbeline while also being nominated for the same award the same year for his role as Cassio in Othello. In 2011 he won the Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award for his role in Thor. He won the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight and Best Villain in 2013 for his role in The Avengers. For his role in the 2013 play Coriolanus, he won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor.

Early life and education

Hiddleston was born in Westminster, London.[1] He is the son of Diana Patricia (née Servaes) Hiddleston, an arts administrator and former stage manager, and James Norman Hiddleston, a physical chemist.[2] His father is from Greenock, Scotland[3] and his mother is from Suffolk, England.[4] His younger sister, Emma, is also an actress, whilst his older sister, Sarah, is a journalist in India.[5] Through his mother, he is a great-grandson of Vice Admiral Reginald Servaes, and a great-great-grandson of food producer Sir Edmund Vestey.[6] He was raised in Wimbledon in his early years, and later in Oxford.[4] He attended the Dragon School preparatory school[7] in Oxford, and, by the time he was 13, he boarded at Eton College. During this time, his parents were going through a divorce. When discussing his parents' divorce in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he stated: "I like to think it made me more compassionate in my understanding of human frailty".[8]

Hiddleston continued on to Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a double first in Classics.[9][10][3] During his second term at Cambridge, he was seen in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire by talent agent Lorraine Hamilton, of Hamilton Hodell.[11] He proceeded to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 2005.[12]

Career

Film and television

While still doing student plays Hiddleston began doing television, landing parts in Stephen Whittaker's adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby for ITV,[11] the BBC/HBO co-production Conspiracy, and as Randolph Churchill, the son of Winston Churchill, in the BBC/HBO drama The Gathering Storm.[13]

Upon graduating from RADA, Hiddleston was cast in his first film role, playing Oakley in Joanna Hogg's first feature, Unrelated. His sister Emma also appeared in the film as Badge. Casting director, Lucy Bevan, who cast him in the film said "there was just a fantastic confidence about him". He also appeared in the leading role of Edward in Hogg's second feature, Archipelago.[14] His TV credits include Magnus Martinsson in the BBC detective drama Wallander, Bill Hazledine in Suburban Shootout, John Plumptre in the BBC costume drama TV film Miss Austen Regrets and William Buxton in the BBC drama series Return to Cranford. In 2007, he joined a list of British actors, including Kate Winslet and Orlando Bloom, to have guest starred in the long-running medical drama Casualty.[15]

Hiddleston is well known for his portrayal of Loki in the 2011 Marvel Studios film, Thor. He was invited to audition by Kenneth Branagh, the film's director, after having previously worked with Branagh on Ivanov and Wallander. Hiddleston said of Branagh, "Ken has had a life-changing effect. He was able to say to the executives, 'Trust me on this, you can cast Tom and he will deliver'. It was massive and it's completely changed the course of what is available to me to do. Ken gave me my break."[16] In the beginning, he originally auditioned for the part of Thor. "I initially auditioned to play Thor. That was what I was being considered for, because I'm tall and blonde and classically trained, and that seemed to be the mold for what Thor was, he was to be a classical character. And it was in my auditions. I owe this entirely to Marvel and their open-mindedness, they saw something that they thought was interesting. They saw some temperament that they liked."[17] The casting director gave Hiddleston six weeks to bulk up, so he went on a strict diet and gained twenty pounds of muscle.[18] In the end, Branagh decided he was more suitable as the antagonist and cast him as Loki. To prepare for his role as Loki, Hiddleston trained in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira.[citation needed]

Also in 2011 Hiddleston portrayed novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald in writer-director Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, the noble Captain Nicholls in War Horse, a film based on the 1982 novel by Michael Morpurgo, directed by Steven Spielberg, and Freddie Page, a RAF pilot in the drama The Deep Blue Sea, alongside Rachel Weisz. In 2012, he reprised his role as the supervillain Loki in The Avengers. While filming a scene with Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, the film's director, Joss Whedon told the fighting duo that the scene did not look real enough, so Hiddleston told Hemsworth to really hit him for the fight scene. "I said to Chris, 'Dude, just hit me. Just hit me because I'm protected here and it's fine.' He's like, 'Are you sure?' I was like, 'Yeah, it will look great. Just go for it.'"[19]

On television in 2012 Hiddleston appeared in the BBC Two series The Hollow Crown, portraying Prince Hal opposite Jeremy Irons as Henry IV in the adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I and Part II. He later as appeared as King Henry V in the television film Henry V.[20] In 2013, Hiddleston played Loki again in Thor: The Dark World,[21] following which he played a vampire, Adam, in Jim Jarmusch's film Only Lovers Left Alive with Tilda Swinton as Eve and Mia Wasikowska.[22] He had a cameo in the 2014 film Muppets Most Wanted, as the Great Escapo.[15]

Hiddleston replaced Benedict Cumberbatch in the gothic horror film Crimson Peak, directed by Guillermo del Toro.[23] The film started filming in Toronto in February 2014, and was released in October 2015.[24][25] Upcoming roles include Robert Laing in the film adaptation of J. G. Ballard's novel High Rise, directed by Ben Wheatley.[26] The film started shooting in Northern Ireland in July 2014.[27][28]

It was announced in June 2014 that Hiddleston will play country music singer Hank Williams in the upcoming biopic I Saw the Light, based on the 1994 biography. It will be directed by Marc Abraham and is set to start shooting in Louisiana in October 2014.[29] Legendary Pictures announced in September 2014 that Hiddleston would star in the upcoming King Kong film Kong: Skull Island.[30] It is set to be released on 10 March 2017 and will be directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.[31] He is also set to reprise his role as Loki in Thor: Ragnarok, scheduled for release on 3 November 2017,[32] as well as Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 (2018) and Part 2 (2019).[33]

Hiddleston appears as Jonathan Pine in the television mini-series The Night Manager based on the espionage and detective novel of the same name by John le Carré. The series started filming in Spring 2015 and is currently airing on AMC with Hugh Laurie also starring.[34][35]

Theatre

Hiddleston had leading roles in Declan Donnellan's company Cheek by Jowl's productions The Changeling, and Cymbeline. For the latter he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play.[36] His Donmar Warehouse credits include Cassio in Michael Grandage's production of Shakespeare's Othello alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor[37][38] and later Lvov in their West End revival of Chekhov's Ivanov with Kenneth Branagh.[11]

Hiddleston appeared with Benedict Cumberbatch, Gemma Arterton, Eddie Redmayne and Rose Byrne among others in Danny Boyle's one time production of The Children's Monologues on 14 November 2010 where he played Prudence, a young girl upset with her mother for her father leaving and excited for her birthday. The play was a one time event of adapted stories of children's first-hand experiences in South Africa being re-interpreted by and performed by various actors.[39] From 6 December 2013 to 13 February 2014, Hiddleston played the title character in William Shakespeare's Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden directed by Josie Rourke. It was also aired live internationally on 30 January 2014.[40][41]

Narrations

Hiddleston was the voiceover for BBC's documentary on the Galapagos Island in 2006.[42] He also narrated the audiobook The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner in 2007,[43] along with the British Museum on the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead in 2011 and poetry for iF Poems and The Love Book on iTunes in 2012.[44][45] Hiddleston will be one of the narrators in the upcoming 2015 documentary Unity directed by Shaun Monson. He is one of the 100 narrators for the film, other voices will include those of Adam Levine, Anjelica Huston, Ben Kingsley, Cloris Leachman, Geoffrey Rush, Marion Cotillard, and Olivia Wilde.[46]

Jaguar ad campaign

With director Mark Jenkinson on the set of Jaguar's "The Art of Villainy" commercial, February 2014

In January 2014, Hiddleston became a spokesperson for Jaguar Cars in their "Good to be Bad" ad campaign featuring British actors in villain-themed commercials to promote Jaguars new models.[47] The first commercial of the campaign, titled "Rendezvous", first aired during the 2014 Super Bowl and featured Hiddleston along with Mark Strong and Ben Kingsley.[48][49]

In April 2014, Hiddleston starred in another commercial in the campaign, titled "The Art of Villainy". It was released on YouTube, promoting the F-Type coupe. However, the Advertising Standards Authority received complaints about the video "encouraging irresponsible driving". Jaguar Land Rover said that in the ad, when the car did leave the car park, it "accelerated briefly" and that police were present at filming to confirm the speed limit was not breached but the ASA ruled against it and banned the commercial.[50]

Personal life

Hiddleston was one of the celebrities, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Jo Brand, E. L. James and Rachel Riley, to design and sign his own card for the UK-based charity Thomas Coram Foundation for Children. The campaign was launched by crafting company Stampin' Up! UK and the cards were auctioned off on eBay during May 2014.[51]

Hiddleston is also a supporter of the humanitarian and developmental assistance fund group UNICEF. He travelled to Guinea in early 2013 to help women and children and raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition.[52]

Hiddleston is a self-described feminist.[53]

Filmography

Film

In character as Loki at the San Diego Comic-Con International promoting Thor: The Dark World, July 2013
Year Title Role Notes Refs.
2006 Unrelated Oakley
2010 Archipelago Edward
2011 Thor Loki
2011 Midnight in Paris F. Scott Fitzgerald
2011 War Horse Captain Nicholls
2011 Friend Request Pending Tom Short film
2012 The Deep Blue Sea Freddie Page
2012 Out of Time Man Short film [54][55]
2012 The Avengers Loki
2012 Out of Darkness Male Short film [56]
2013 Only Lovers Left Alive Adam
2013 Exhibition Jamie Macmillan
2013 Thor: The Dark World Loki
2014 Muppets Most Wanted Great Escapo
2014 The Pirate Fairy James Hook Voice [57]
2015 Unity Narrator Documentary
2015 High-Rise Dr. Robert Laing
2015 Crimson Peak Sir Thomas Sharpe
2016 I Saw the Light Hank Williams
2017 Kong: Skull Island Captain James Conrad Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes Refs.
2001 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Lord Television film
2001 Conspiracy Phone Operator Television film
2001 Armadillo Toby Sherrifmuir Television film
2002 The Gathering Storm Randolph Churchill Television film
2005 A Waste of Shame John Hall Television film
2006 Victoria Cross Heroes Capt. 'Jack' Randle Episode: "The Modern Age" [58]
2006 Suburban Shootout Bill Hazeldine 10 episodes [59]
2006 Galápagos Charles Darwin (voice) Episode: "Islands that Changed the World"
2007 Casualty Chris Vaughn Episode: "The Killing Floor"
2008 Wallander Magnus Martinsson 6 episodes [60]
2008 Miss Austen Regrets Mr. John Plumptre Television film
2009 Return to Cranford William Buxton 2 episodes [61]
2009 Darwin's Secret Notebooks Charles Darwin (voice) Documentary [62]
2012 Robot Chicken Lorax narrator (voice) Episode "Butchered in Burbank" [63]
2012 Henry IV Part I and Part II Prince Hal Television film
2012 Henry V Henry V Television film
2013 Family Guy Statue Griffin (voice) Episode: "No Country Club for Old Men" [63]
2016 The Night Manager Jonathan Pine TV miniseries

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
2005 Yorgjin Oxo: The Man Yorgjin Oxo Theatre 503 [64]
2006 The Changeling Alsemero Cheek by Jowl/Barbican/European Tour [65]
2007 Cymbeline Posthumus Leonatus & Cloten Cheek by Jowl/Barbican/World Tour [11]
2008 Othello Cassio Donmar Warehouse
2008 Ivanov Lvov Donmar Warehouse
2010 The Children's Monologues Prudence Old Vic Theatre
2012 The Kingdom of Earth Lot Criterion Theatre [66]
2013 Coriolanus Coriolanus Donmar Warehouse/Covent Garden Theatre [40][41]

Video game

Year Title Voice role
2011 Thor: God of Thunder Loki

Radio

Year Title Role Director Notes Ref.
2002 The Trial of the Angry Brigade John Barker Peter Kavanagh BBC Radio 4
2006 Dracula Jonathan Harker Marion Nancarrow BBC World Service [42]
2006 Another Country Tommy Judd Marc Beeby BBC Radio 4 [67]
2007 Caesar III: An Empire Without End Romulus Jeremy Mortimer BBC Radio 4 [42]
2008 Othello Cassio Michael Grandage BBC Radio 3 [42]
2008 The Leopard Tancredi Lucy Bailey BBC Radio 3 [68]
2008 Cyrano de Bergerac Christian David Timson BBC Radio 3 [69]
2009 Carnival Lords of Misrule Zahid Warley BBC Radio 3 [70]

Awards and nominations

At the New York premiere of The Avengers during the Tribeca Film Festival, April 2012
Year Award Work Result Ref.
2007 Ian Charleson Award Third Prize Othello Won [71]
2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play
(nominated twice for separate roles)
Othello Nominated [72]
Cymbeline Won [72][36]
2010 Crime Thriller Award for Best Supporting Actor Wallander Nominated
2011 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Midnight in Paris Nominated
2011 Scream Award for Breakout Performance – Male Thor Nominated [73]
2012 Empire Award for Best Male Newcomer Thor Won [74]
2012 Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor Archipelago Nominated [75]
2012 BAFTA Rising Star Award Thor Nominated [76]
2012 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Thor Nominated [77]
2012 Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain The Avengers Nominated [78]
2012 Glamour Award for Man of the Year N/A Won [79]
2013 Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Villain The Avengers Nominated [80]
2013 MTV Movie Award for Best Fight The Avengers (shared with the cast) Won [81]
2013 MTV Movie Award for Best Villain The Avengers Won [81]
2014 Empire Award for Best Supporting Actor Thor: The Dark World Nominated [82]
2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor Coriolanus Nominated [83]
2014 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Thor: The Dark World Nominated [84]
2014 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor Coriolanus Won [85]
2015 British Independent Film Award for Best Actor High-Rise Nominated [86]
2015 Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor High-Rise; Crimson Peak Nominated [87]

References

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  43. Gardner, Sally. The Red Necklace. Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
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External links

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