You could say that the role of Loki changed actor Tom Hiddleston's career, even his life.
Hiddleston has appeared in three Marvel films to-date, "Thor," "The Avengers" and "Thor: The Dark World," but he held a special appreciation for "Avengers." That one was by far the biggest hit of the three, featuring the long-awaited team-up of all of Marvel's big-screen superheroes. Hiddleston had already enjoyed a distinguished career, but it wasn't until his turn as the villainous Loki in "Avengers" that the actor became a household name.
The actor was so enamored of his part in "The Avengers" that he wrote an overjoyed letter to writer/director Joss Whedon after reading the script. Why is the letter only seeing the light of day now? It's printed in its entirety in "Joss Whedon: The Autobiography", which will be in stores as of August 1, 2014.
It's one of the best examples of unabashed fanboyism you'll ever read. For example, in describing his first read of the script, he says:
"...I grabbed at it like Charlie Bucket snatching for a golden ticket somewhere behind the chocolate wrapper of a Wonka Bar."
He then describes leafing through the pages, looking for any and every instance of the word "Loki." Hiddleston is so overcome by Whedon's writing, he gushes his appreciation.
"Thank you for writing me my Hans Gruber. But a Hans Gruber with super-magic powers... It's high operatic villainy alongside detached throwaway tongue-in-cheek... It's grand and epic and majestic and poetic and lyrical and wicked and rich and badass and might possibly be the most gloriously fun part I've ever stared down the barrel of playing."
Next, Hiddleston lists out his favorite Loki qualities, as emphasized in the script.
"...That he loves to make an entrance; that he has a taste for the grand gesture, the big speech, the spectacle. I might be biased, but I do feel as though you have written me the coolest part."
Needless to say, Whedon was happy to receive such approval from an actor he'd never worked with before. He wrote back to Hiddleston with a thanks of his own. He calls Hiddleston's letter "one of those emails you keep forever," before joking that the actor's letter may be longer than Whedon's "Avengers" script.
In a world where Hollywood cast and crew members sometimes have very public feuds that make headlines, it's refreshing to see genuine camaraderie expressed within a big blockbuster movie's behind-the-scenes relationships.
Tom Hiddleston will next be seen in Guillermo del Toro's gothic horror film "Crimson Peak."
Photo: Gage Skidmore
