5 fun, unusual facts about our favorite Loki, Tom Hiddleston
What's the story
Shooting into the spotlight with his stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the demigod antihero Loki, Tom Hiddleston has come a long way. Starting with stage plays, now Hiddleston can ably lead Hollywood franchises alongside impressing critics with his acting chops. Although the 40-year-old regularly charms us in front of cameras, let's dive behind them to explore five unusual facts about him.
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Classmates with Prince William and Eddie Redmayne; passionate about rugby
Born in Westminster, the Kong: Skull Island actor attended Eton College. And here, he was classmates with both Prince William and actor Eddie Redmayne. He also went to Cambridge University, where he was quite invested in playing rugby. In fact, he was a gifted player and could have pursued it professionally. But he quit the sport to prioritize acting and hone his craft.
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He read up Norse mythology to learn more about Loki
It's a known fact the English actor was keen on playing Loki's brother, Thor, at first but later charmed us as the trickster. But did you know, he had thoroughly read Norse mythology to better understand the character? His efforts paid off as, despite the role being fated to end with a couple of movies, Loki became a decade-long gig with a standalone show.
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He went to some astounding lengths to prepare for roles
Talking about astounding preparations, Hiddleston read in-depth essays for Crimson Peak and participated in an autopsy to hone his role in High Rise. While he generally runs five miles every morning, to prepare for the biographical venture I Saw the Light, he ran ten miles to shape his figure as the country-western singer Hank Williams. All three movies mentioned above came out in 2015.
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He's an avid Shakespeare fan, worked in several plays
When asked at Comic-Con 2013 about what he loves most, Hiddleston had counted off tennis and William Shakespeare. Falling in love with the Bard in school, the actor has regularly participated in plays by Shakespeare: be it Coriolanus or The Hollow Crown. He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Cymbeline play and even appeared in a documentary, Muse of Fire, to talk about Shakespeare.