Tom Hiddleston: Rickman & James Mason Inspired His Epic Portrayal of Loki

Tom Hiddleston recalls seeking inspiration from unconventional film characters while portraying Marvel’s god of mischief, despite it being over a decade since he first gained recognition for the role in 2011’s “Thor”, reported People. To prepare for the iconic role, Hiddleston talked about studying Alan Rickman’s well-known portrayal of Hans Gruber in the 1988 movie […]

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Tom Hiddleston: Rickman & James Mason Inspired His Epic Portrayal of Loki

Tom Hiddleston recalls seeking inspiration from unconventional film characters while portraying Marvel’s god of mischief, despite it being over a decade since he first gained recognition for the role in 2011’s “Thor”, reported People.

To prepare for the iconic role, Hiddleston talked about studying Alan Rickman’s well-known portrayal of Hans Gruber in the 1988 movie “Die Hard.” He also looked into the role of master spy Phillip Vandamm, played by James Mason in the 1959 thriller ‘North by Northwest.’

“Those are all characters that are about control and revenge,” Hiddleston said, adding, “I might just love those performances as a child. … I just was so drawn to those performances as they seemed to be having such a wonderful time playing these antagonists, I suppose. And that was part of the charm. They were so charismatic, even though they weren’t at the centre of those films.”

Despite his minor presence in the “Thor” and “Avengers” films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki took the spotlight with the debut of his spin-off series “Loki” on Disney+ in June 2021. Hiddleston’s compelling portrayal of the antihero throughout two seasons, as he embarked on an epic journey spanning space and time, contributed to Loki’s widespread popularity and endearment among fans.

In the second season, alongside Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ke Huy Quan, and Sophia Di Martino, Loki undergoes a significant transformation, becoming a living temporal guardian tasked with maintaining the integrity of various timelines. Through this evolution, he shifts from a self-absorbed and egotistical individual to someone willing to sacrifice everything to safeguard the cosmos. “That was the very basis of the season I set out to write, and seeing that all culminate in that and Tom, just bringing every last bit of emotion to it, it just made everything [worthwhile],” writer and executive producer Eric Martin stated. Disney+ now offers the first and second seasons of “Loki” for streaming, reported People.

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