Thors Loki has proved to be one of the sexiest villains of the past decade. Of course, it doesnt hurt that Tom Hiddleston is one of Britains most dashing actors, tuned ELLE journalist when he interviewed co-star Natalie Portman for our ELLE cover story. Here, he talks about everyones favourite God of Mischief
What do you like about Loki?
Hes a trickster, God of Mischief - his reason for being is to have a good time, so whether hes doing something thats genuinely dramatic or even borderline evil, hes the most unpredictable firework in the pack. Thats the fun of him! Every mythology has a trickster archetype, Greek and Roman included. Lucifer is a trickster in one sense, but that all gets a bit darker.
We saw your appearance at Comic-Con. People went nuts!
It was a rush, but a surprise! I hoped that it would go down well, but when I walked out, I literally walked into a wall of sound, and I felt like I was playing a gig in a band. Real rock star stuff! There were 7,000 people having a good time. Afterwards I could feel the adrenalin coursing through my body, my heart was racing. If ever theres a place to turn up in character, its San Diego Comic-Con!
Do you get asked to do Lokis voice as a party trick?
Never, actually. And the funny thing is that I dont feel that I do that much of a voice. Im never conscious of doing a voice, apart from just sounding a little bit menacing and mischievous, but I must do its deeper and it hisses and growls.
Does Loki get fan mail?
Truckloads! Last summer, someone rang my doorbell and said there was a delivery for me. I said, Ill buzz you through, because theres a gate in front of my front door. No, he said, Im in a van and I have to reverse in. I asked why he couldnt just take it out of the van and he said ALL of the stuff in it was for me. And it was a big van.
What did you do with it all?
I unpacked it and I read it all. The most flattering thing is when people understand Loki, because hes a damaged soul. In the story, the way he turned into the God of Mischief is that he was lied to, cast out, abandoned and betrayed as a child. A lot of his reason for wanting to stir up chaos has come from heartbreak, and this resonates with people. They write these long, articulate essays about it. It was intentional that Loki should be an entertaining character but also that there should be a shred of truth. So its pleasing to get those letters. And then people send dolls and teddy bears of Loki, and some amazing artwork. I was hopeless as art as a child - it just wasnt one of the gifts that was bestowed on me. So Im always amazed by those. Theres some stranger stuff too. People write fan fiction about him and that can get a bit racy!
In period dramas, they say that the authenticity of the costume extends to the underwear. Does Loki have special pants?
Its not really the same, but in metallic costumes and you want to make sure that, um, things are well protected from the sharpness of the metal. So Ill wear under-armour jogging trousers. Apart from that, Loki keeps his underwear pretty simple!
THOR: THE DARK WORLD is in cinemas from 30 October
READ TOMS INTERVIEW WITH THOR CO-STAR NATALIE PORTMAN IN THIS MONTHS ELLE
