TOM HIDDLESTON TIME VARIANT
Ranking His Best Works + Disney+'s Loki
They can jump between time and space. Tom Hiddleston is just as much a time-variant as Loki. Looking at some of his best work, he’s starred as a Lost Generation ex-pat novelist living in 1920s Paris, a tracker/former British Special Air Service Captain after the Vietnam War, a 1950s country singer, a doctor-turned-mad high-rise resident in the ’70s, a redeemed Baronet from the turn of the century, and an immortal Asgardian Prince.
Hiddleston’s played varied characters from different eras with seemingly little effort. That’s what makes him so great. His talent was evident early on. At the beginning of his career, he starred in a production of Othello, but the only thing Sir Kenneth Branagh noticed was the newcomer.
“I’d not seen him before, but it was quite clear that he was an utterly naturalistic speaker of Shakespeare,” Branagh told Digital Spy in 2016. “It’s not necessarily a part in which you can score, Cassio – he is in many ways the relatively straightforward young man…But Tom made him so effortlessly charming and was so adept, adroit, and invisibly easy with the language that it did feel like it was the start of something. Even against those two [Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor], that boy really stood out.”
They later shared the stage in Chekhov’s Ivanov and the screen on BBC’s Wallander. But when it came time to cast Thor, Branagh, who was directing, knew who he wanted. Hiddleston initially went for Thor, but Branagh thought he’d be a better Loki, and he was right. Thank all the stars in Midgard that Branagh gave Hiddleston a leg up.
6. Midnight in Paris (2011)
Ignoring the fact that Woody Allen is the writer and director, Midnight in Paris is a magical film about a floundering writer, Gil (Owen Wilson). Gil has writer’s block while working on a novel during a vacation in Paris with his fiance, Inez (Rachel McAdams), and her horrid parents. During a midnight walk, Gil stumbles into Paris during the 1920s and makes friends with iconic artists of the Lost Generation, including Hiddleston’s character, F. Scott Fitzgerald. We don’t see much of Hiddleston, but his portrayal of the famous writer is inspiring.
5. Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island wasn’t much more than an action/adventure, but Hiddleston played the macho hero, James Conrad, a tracker, with sophistication and brains, unlike most action heroes who go in with guns blazing. It was also his first time leading an action blockbuster.
4. I Saw the Light (2015)
In I Saw the Light, Hiddleston became another famous artist, country-singing pioneer Hank Williams. Gone was Hiddleston’s posh English accent, only to be replaced with Williams’ signature southern drawl. What might have seemed like a daunting role was a welcome experience for Hiddleston. He’s drawn to things that scare him, so he went headfirst into preparation, which included performing before live audiences, and taking singing and yodeling lessons. He practiced until he was ready to sing all of the songs live.
3. High-Rise (2015)
Based on J. G. Ballard’s novel of the same name, High-Rise follows Hiddleston’s Dr. Robert Laing after moving into one of London’s new high-rises, which boasts luxury and efficiency. But Laing soon finds out that there’s something strange going on with the rest of the building’s tenets, who have formed a class system. When tensions rise between the poor lower floors and the rich higher floors, Laing is caught in the middle of all the chaos. Soon he’s like everyone else; mad, promiscuous, and on the hunt for dogs. The only soothing part of the film is Hiddleston’s calming narration.
2. Crimson Peak (2015)
Hiddleston’s third film in 2015 was Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro’s gothic romance. Hiddleston plays Sir Thomas Sharp, an English Baronet, and inventor, who comes to America with his sister Lucille, to raise capital for their fallen crimson clay business. But they’re there to ensnare a naive heiress with no family into marriage so they can kill her and inherit her money. But Thomas falls in love with Edith Cushing and redeems his past (often incestuous) mistakes by saving her in the end from his psychotic sister. It’s just the sort of role Hiddleston would take, and he’s dark, mysterious, and sexy.
1. Loki (2011- Present)
We fell in love with Hiddleston’s Loki back in 2011. He’s graced our screens as the God of Mischief in six films and one incredibly successful Disney+ show, Loki. Although he met his untimely demise in Infinity War, the fan-favorite returned for Endgame for a bit. He steals the Tesseract and unknowingly becomes a time-variant by doing so. The new Loki series follows the aftermath of such events, and so far, it has not disappointed. But Loki could be about anything, and we wouldn’t care. As long as we see Hiddleston reprise his role, we’re as happy as an Asgardian in Helheim.
