*Tom Hiddleston, best known as Loki in “Thor” and “The Avengers,” conjures up remnants of mass manipulation tactics that are seen in “Crimson Peak” in the character of Sir Thomas Sharpe.
That being said, The Film Strip asked Hiddleston if maybe Sharpe is misunderstood? First he laughs and then says, “Well, I think the character confounds, I hope, the expectations of the audience because initially he’s very charismatic and charming.
“Then behind the charisma you see somebody with some guilt and shame and then behind the guilt you see a vulnerability,” Hiddleston continues. “When the truth is finally told, it gives him the freedom to make some different choices. So I hope there’s an arc and a journey that audiences can follow that’s interesting.”
Not wanting to be thought of as someone who likes playing just villainous roles, he states that it’s more about the character. “I’ve always wanted to play lots of different types of people. I’m interested in complexity and exploring different shades of humanity. I’m just interested in people, in life. Life isn’t easy, you know. When I see characters in scripts who are just wrestling with something, struggling with something, I find that compelling.”
In “Crimson Peak,” Hiddleston says love has a big part in the shaping of Sharpe. “Falling in love with Edith (Mia Wasikowska) does change the course of his life, he explains. “Ultimately it’s a story about love. It’s a story about the uncontrollable power of love. It’s a depiction of different kinds of love. A love that is pure, a love that is honest and also another kind of love that is twisted and misshapen perhaps because it’s being repressed…It’s a battle between love and fear.”
To shed more light on seeking compelling roles, before he left the interview room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York, Hiddleston gave a heads up on an upcoming movie. “I’m happy to report,” he chuckled, “I have a heroic role in ‘Kong: Skull Island,’ and he’s not a ‘mass manipulator.’ It also stars Corey Hawkins and Jason Mitchell from ‘Straight Outta Compton.’”
Syndicated Entertainment journalist Marie Moore reports on film and TV from her New York City base. Contact her at [email protected]
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