Following his high-profile break-up from Taylor Swift last year, and scooping the 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series' gong at this year's Golden Globes, it's no wonder Tom Hiddleston has been wanting to take some well-earned rest.
Ok, so he's been filming Thor Ragnarok with the likes of Cate Blanchett and Chris Hemsworth, so not exactly snoozing poolside, but he's kept a low profile for a while now.
However, it appears the 36-year-old is finally ready to return to the spotlight and take on one of his most challenging roles to date.
The BBC reports that The Night Manager star is following in the footsteps of David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch and James McEvoy by taking on the role of William Shakespeare's Hamlet
The London production, held at Rada's Jerwood Vanbrugh theatre from 1-23 September, will be directed by RADA president Kenneth Branagh (who also directed Hiddleston in Thor) and will also star Born to Kill actress Lolita Chakrabarti as Gertrude.
Speaking of his role, Hiddleston told The Stage that Hamlet offered 'almost limitless possibilities for interpretation'.
'I can't wait to explore them, with this great cast, at RADA. Kenneth Branagh and I have long talked about working on the play together, and now felt like the right time, at the right place,' he added.
Hiddleston's decision to tread the boards comes weeks after he appeared at Comic-Con 2017 in San Diego with his Thor cast mates, and where actor Mark Ruffalo posted an adorable snap of the film's lead male stars catching some shut eye on a couch together.
With proceeds from Hiddleston and his fellow cast's performances going towards the theatre company's Attenborough campaign, which aims to raise £20m to upgrade one of its main London sites and provide RADA with its first on-site student accommodation, Hiddleston fans can nab tickets to the production by entering a ballot.
The ballot is open from today Tuesday 1 August and will close at 18:00 on Sunday 6 August. People can also enter by phone until 17:00 on Saturday 5 August.
See you on the front row!
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
