Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981)[2] is a British actor. He gained international fame portrayingLoki in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning withThor in 2011 and including theDisney+ seriesLoki (2021–2023).
Thomas William Hiddleston was born on 9 February 1981 in theWestminster district ofLondon[3] to Diana Patricia (née Servaes) Hiddleston, an arts administrator and former stage manager fromSuffolk in eastEngland,[4] and Dr. James Norman Hiddleston, fromGreenock inRenfrewshire in the west ofScotland,[5] a physical chemist and former managing director of a biotechnology company that liaised withOxford University.[6][7] Hiddleston has an older sister, Sarah Alexandra Hiddleston, who works as a journalist inChennai,India, and a younger sister, Emma Elizabeth (née Hiddleston) Blakiston-Houston, who is an actress and midwife.[8]
On his mother's side, Hiddleston is a great-grandson ofVice-AdmiralReginald Servaes and a great-great-grandson of food producerSir Edmund Vestey.[9] Through Vestey, Hiddleston is a distant cousin ofSir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who is a great-grandson of Edmund Vestey. Hiddleston's paternal grandfather, Alexander, served in theRoyal Artillery and worked as a plater in the shipyards. He shares the same name as his great-great-uncle, Tom Hiddleston, a shipyard plater from Greenock and a member of the Royal Artillery's51st (Highland) Division, who died after theBattle of the Somme and whose name is engraved in the Broomhill war memorial.[10]
Hiddleston was the voiceover forBBC's documentary on theGalapagos Island in 2006.[22] He also narrated theaudiobookThe Red Necklace bySally Gardner in 2007,[23] Hiddleston played the leading role of Edward in Hogg's second feature,Archipelago (2010),[24]Martin Scorsese spoke about his experience watching Archipelago saying 'I couldn't stop watching it... I fell in love with it'.[25] Hiddleston's TV credits include Magnus Martinsson in the BBC detective dramaWallander (2008), Bill Hazledine inSuburban Shootout (2006), John Plumptre in the BBC costume drama TV filmMiss Austen Regrets (2008) and William Buxton in the BBC drama seriesReturn to Cranford (2009). In 2007, he joined a list of British actors, includingKate Winslet andOrlando Bloom, to have guest starred in the long-running medical dramaCasualty.[26]
Breakthrough and worldwide recognition (2011–2014)
Hiddleston at the 2011 New York Comic Con
Hiddleston is well known for his portrayal ofLoki in the 2011Marvel Studios filmThor. He was invited to audition byKenneth Branagh, the film's director, after having previously worked with Branagh onIvanov andWallander. 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."[27] He originally auditioned for the role ofThor, recalling, "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."[28] Hiddleston was given six weeks to bulk up, so he went on a strict diet and gained twenty pounds of muscle.[29] Branagh ultimately decided he was more suitable as the antagonist and cast him as Loki.Empire magazine ranked Hiddleston's portrayal of Loki as the 19th Greatest Movie Character of All Time.[30]
In November 2010, Hiddleston appeared withBenedict Cumberbatch,Gemma Arterton,Eddie Redmayne andRose Byrne among others inDanny Boyle's one time production ofThe Children's Monologues, in which 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.[31]
From December 2013 to February 2014, Hiddleston played the title character inWilliam Shakespeare'sCoriolanus at theDonmar Warehouse in Covent Garden directed byJosie Rourke. It was also aired live internationally on 30 January 2014.[37][38] David Benedict ofVariety praised a "scorching" performance.[39] He had a cameo in the 2014 filmMuppets Most Wanted, as the Great Escapo.[26]
In January 2014, Hiddleston became a spokesperson forJaguar Cars in their "Good to be Bad" ad campaign featuring British actors in villain-themed commercials to promote Jaguar's new models.[46] The first commercial of the campaign, titled "Rendezvous", first aired during the2014 Super Bowl and featured Hiddleston along withMark Strong andBen Kingsley.[47][48] Hiddleston starred in another commercial in the campaign, titled "The Art of Villainy" in April of the same year. It was released on YouTube, promoting theF-Type coupe.
It was announced in June 2014 that Hiddleston would portray country music singerHank Williams in the 2015 biopicI Saw the Light, based on the 1994 biography. The film was directed byMarc Abraham, and was first shown in the Special Presentations section of the2015 Toronto International Film Festival.[49] Hiddleston spent nearly five weeks preparing for the role ofHank Williams, performing seven of the film's soundtrack songs.[50] The film was released on 25 March 2016, bySony Pictures Classics.[51] While the film was not well-received, Hiddleston's performance was widely praised by critics.[52]Stephanie Zacharek ofTime magazine called him "magnificent" adding that "he honors Williams' greatness but also wriggles beyond it."[53]
Hiddleston at the Nerd HQ in July 2016
Hiddleston was one of the narrators in the 2015 documentaryUnity directed byShaun Monson.[54] He appeared as Jonathan Pine in the 2016 television mini-seriesThe Night Manager based on the espionage and detective novel of thesame name byJohn le Carré. The series started filming in Spring 2015 and aired onBBC andAMC withHugh Laurie also starring.[55][56] Ben Travers ofIndieWire noted that he carried the role of Pine from start to finish, "with an admirable determination and aptly unbreakable constitution."[57] For his performance in the series he was nominated for several awards, including twoPrimetime Emmy Awards and won aGolden Globe Award forBest Actor.
In early 2017, Hiddleston expressed his will to take a long break from work, and his desire to work again in theatre.[58] Later the same year, he starred inLegendary Pictures'King Kong film,Kong: Skull Island.[59] Released on 10 March, and directed byJordan Vogt-Roberts, the film was a commercial success, earning over $566 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews.[60][61][62]
In September 2017, he played the title character in a limited run ofWilliam Shakespeare'sHamlet directed byKenneth Branagh. The production ran for three weeks at a 160-seat theater, with the tickets given out by lottery system to raise money forRADA.[63]Michael Billington ofThe Guardian called his performance "a compelling Hamlet with a genuine nobility of soul."Ann Treneman ofThe Times praised his performance writing that he made the role "completely his own, emotional, magnetic, canny, often frolicsome" and that is "a shame is that so few will see his HiddleHamlet."[64] Following his successful run asHamlet, Hiddleston was given 'The Red Book' a red-bound copy ofHamlet which originally belonged to stage actorJohnston Forbes-Robertson and passed down from one actor to another who they deemed the greatestHamlet of their generation.[65]
Hiddleston narratedEarth At Night In Color, an Americannature documentarytelevision series created by Offspring Films. The series premiered on 4 December 2020 onApple TV+, with a second season premiering on 16 April 2021.[78][79] Initially announced in November 2018,[80] Hiddleston reprised his role as Loki inLoki which premiered onDisney+ in June 2021.[81] The primarily Norwegian-language songVery Full he sings in the third episodeof Loki debuted at number ten on theBillboard World Digital Song Sales.[82]Loki received generally favorable reviews,[83][84] and on 14 July 2021 was officially renewed for a second season.[85] Michael Idato, reviewing forThe Sydney Morning Herald concluded that "Hiddleston's performance asLoki has always been defined by its humour as much as its pathos. Both seem to be on display in equal measure inLoki."[86]TVLine named him"Performer of the Week" after first season ended, stating that "Hiddleston had to bring back a greedier, more insolent version of theGod of Mischief, while also softening him enough. It was a delicate balance for the actor, and one he struck beautifully."[87] Thesecond season ofLoki premiered in October 2023, with Hiddleston being dubbed as 'the MCU's most versatile performer'.[88]
In 2023, Hiddleston narrated a ten episode nature documentary series calledBig Beasts,[94] and a 12 episode nature documentary series in 2024 calledEarthsounds, both forApple TV+.[95]
In 2025, Hiddleston starred as Benedick in TheJamie Lloyd Company’s production ofShakespeare'sMuch Ado About Nothing, which completed a sold-out run atTheatre Royal, Drury Lane, and set a new box office record for a play in the West End. In April 2025, the production concluded with the five highest-grossing weeks for a play in West End history, with the final week achieving the highest box office figures to date.[98]
Public image and acting style
One of the most high-profile actors in contemporaryBritish popular culture, Hiddleston appeared onDebrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the United Kingdom.[99] In 2015, he was named theBritish Film Institute's first official founding ambassador.[100] In 2016, Hiddleston was awarded the maleRear of the Year title, a light-hearted accolade that recognises British celebrities who are found to have a notable posterior.[101] He has been named most stylish/best dressed man in several listings.[102]Taffy Brodesser-Akner ofGQ describes his off-screen persona as "a sweet-natured bookworm given the face and body of the only man who should ever be allowed to wear a suit".[103] HisCrimson Peak directorGuillermo del Toro and the comic book writerStan Lee have called him "the nicest guy on earth" and "the nicest guy you'll ever meet".[104]
Kenneth Branagh noted that the first time he ever saw Hiddleston, playing Cassio inOthello, it was clear to him that he was an utterly naturalistic speaker ofShakespeare.[105]Michael Billington ofThe Guardian wrote that Hiddleston's key acting quality is "his ability to combine a sweet sadness with an incandescent fury, suggesting a fierce intellect gnawed by intense melancholy and yet subjecting to bouts of intemperate rage."[106]Charles McNulty of theLos Angeles Times describes Hiddleston as "an actor of uncommon intelligence andPre-Raphaelite beauty."[107]The Daily Telegraph's Dominic Cavendish suggested that Hiddleston "has got the theatrical acting chops to head up there among the greats", whileThe Independent's Paul Taylor remarked that "his range is beginning to look pretty limitless".[108] David Fear ofRolling Stone opined that there are two sides to Hiddleston, the old-school movie star ofMidnight in Paris,War Horse orThe Night Manager, and the "unpredictable, borderline weirdo version" of him seen in characters likeLoki or inHigh-Rise, adding that Hiddleston refuses to settle on one specific kind of role.[109][110]
Hiddleston has stated thatmethod acting does not help him as a collaborator.[111]
Hiddleston is in a relationship with British actress and writerZawe Ashton. In October 2018, the pair performed atDickens vsTolstoy debate forIntelligence Squared,[114] and went on to co-star in the 2019 revival ofHarold Pinter’s playBetrayal on theWest End andBroadway. Their relationship became public in September 2021 when they appeared together at theTony Awards. The couple announced their engagement in March 2022. They have two children.[115][116]
He is a UK ambassador of the humanitarian and developmental assistance fund groupUNICEF. He travelled toGuinea in early 2013 to raise awareness about hunger and malnutrition,[128] and toSouth Sudan in early 2015 and late 2016 to report the devastating effects of thecivil war on children in the country.[129]
Hiddleston identifies as afeminist.[130] In February 2018, he was listed as one of the donors to the Justice and Equality Fund, the UK version of theTime's Up initiative.[131] He is also an ambassador of the IlluminatingBAFTA campaign, which aims to provide opportunities to those who otherwise would not have been given a chance in the film, games, and television industries.[132]
Hiddleston took part in theSoccer Aid forUNICEF's charity match as a player for the England Squad on 11 June 2023 at Old Trafford Stadium along with other celebrities.[133] In 2024, Hiddleston returned as a player for the England squad which went on to win the match.[134] In 2025, he returned to Soccer Aid as a manager for the England squad.
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