Tom Hiddleston has spent a good part of his career playing one of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most beloved anti-heroes, Loki. From the very first ‘Thor’ film, which came out in 2011, Tom has donned the green cape and golden helmet with conviction, earning him a space in several other films and his own series. During a recent interview, Hiddleston revealed why he took up the role and how director-animator Tim Burton inspired him to play the god of mischief.
While appearing on the ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, Hiddleston revealed that Burton’s 1989 film ‘Batman’ moved him immensely. He talked about Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the Joker and how he carried that image in mind while playing Loki. He said, “Truthfully, I don’t think I would’ve played Loki without that film. I think the way Jack Nicholson played the Joker was so… At the time in my life when I saw it, it made such an impact on my imagination.”
The actor continued, “I understood he was the villain, but he was having such a good time - that could describe somebody else I know - and he was so charismatic and so inventive and so free. I think, probably, when I came to play Loki for the first film, I consciously kept Jack Nicholson in mind.”
While talking about the 2011 film ‘Thor’, Hiddleston revealed that they took several takes of a shot, as he tried to emulate different actors. “We did the Peter O’Toole take, which wasn’t an impersonation of Peter O’Toole, but it was a tribute to his sincerity and vulnerability in films like ‘The Lion’ in Winter. And then a Jack Nicholson take, where I was having the most fun in the room. And then a Clint Eastwood take, where whatever I was feeling would be hidden deep within me and you wouldn’t be able to see it,” said the actor.