It's a trick even his villainous alter-ego Loki would appreciate: avoiding being typecast.
And so Tom Hiddleston - famous from Marvel's Thor films and The Avengers - portrays a centuries-old vampire opposite Tilda Swinton in Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive and Prince Hal in PBS' upcoming The Hallow Crown.
Lovers had its North American premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
"I want to do so much more," the formally trained 32-year-old says. "There's no way any actor can stay the same. I can't repeat myself."
In Only Lovers Left Alive, Hiddleston plays Adam, a suicidal vampire living in a decayed and abandoned Detroit, while his lover Eve (Swinton) resides in Tangier. Both with covert means for getting their blood fix.
Namechecking Daniel Day-Lewis, Gary Oldman, and Jeff Bridges as influences, Hiddleston says he is most interested in exploring other stories, which, while they may be fantastical, aren't grounded solely in the superhero realm.
"I've always wanted to have a diverse career... so it's good and necessary for me to find my own way," he says thoughtfully.
Thanks to films like Twilight, playing a vampire might seem like a safe bet, but Hiddleston says Only Lovers Left Aliveuses the genre as a device to ruminate on romance and passion.
"I watched a lot of vampire films before we started ... but I knew we were inventing our own symbols ... Jim reinvented the genre in his own way."
This process of excavating new territories - even when he's on familiar ground - is something Hiddleston is mindful of with each new role he says yes to.
"I'm a collaborator, so my decisions are dependent on scripts, directors and other actors... [But] the actors I like and respect most of all are the ones who have found their own way. I don't know which way the wind is going to blow for me, but I know that I'm along for the ride. Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest actor in the world. He has followed his nose in such an extraordinary way. His curiosity as actor seems as alive now as it did 30 years ago.
"He's interested in exploring other dimensions; other stories. Not just himself," Hiddleston continues.
"So the only rule I have is to follow my nose and stay curious."
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King Hiddles getting them diverse and career-boosting roles left and right on the road to his future Best Actor Oscar, like when will your lesser actor flop faves ever?
Also, credit to the amazing and flawless![]()
kukamine for giving me my fantastic new Hiddles + Cookie Monster LJ icon. Bless you, sis! <3
"I want to do so much more," the formally trained 32-year-old says. "There's no way any actor can stay the same. I can't repeat myself."
In Only Lovers Left Alive, Hiddleston plays Adam, a suicidal vampire living in a decayed and abandoned Detroit, while his lover Eve (Swinton) resides in Tangier. Both with covert means for getting their blood fix.
Namechecking Daniel Day-Lewis, Gary Oldman, and Jeff Bridges as influences, Hiddleston says he is most interested in exploring other stories, which, while they may be fantastical, aren't grounded solely in the superhero realm.
"I've always wanted to have a diverse career... so it's good and necessary for me to find my own way," he says thoughtfully.
"I watched a lot of vampire films before we started ... but I knew we were inventing our own symbols ... Jim reinvented the genre in his own way."
This process of excavating new territories - even when he's on familiar ground - is something Hiddleston is mindful of with each new role he says yes to.
"I'm a collaborator, so my decisions are dependent on scripts, directors and other actors... [But] the actors I like and respect most of all are the ones who have found their own way. I don't know which way the wind is going to blow for me, but I know that I'm along for the ride. Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest actor in the world. He has followed his nose in such an extraordinary way. His curiosity as actor seems as alive now as it did 30 years ago.
"He's interested in exploring other dimensions; other stories. Not just himself," Hiddleston continues.
"So the only rule I have is to follow my nose and stay curious."
+++
King Hiddles getting them diverse and career-boosting roles left and right on the road to his future Best Actor Oscar, like when will your lesser actor flop faves ever?
Also, credit to the amazing and flawless
kukamine for giving me my fantastic new Hiddles + Cookie Monster LJ icon. Bless you, sis! <3