Top 10 Tom Hiddleston Performances

While newcomer Jeremy Irvine and his character’s eponymous horse take centre stage for this Steven Spielberg First World War drama, Hiddleston’s supporting role offers one of the most memorable moments in the film. Captain Nicholls gains Joey the thoroughbred when the Narracott family are impelled to sell him to the army in 1914. And while he vows to look after the horse, his part in the conflict is quickly over. Killed when a cavalry charge falls under machine gun fire, his final seconds are followed by a sombre shot of Joey running riderless into German territory.

Starring in three of the four parts to this BBC adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henriad, Hiddleston plays English royalty for his role as Henry V. In “Henry IV, Parts One and Two”, Prince Hal leads a wayward lifestyle much to the displeasure of his father, played by Jeremy Irons. But by the fourth instalment, Henry’s journey to kingship is complete, and he cuts an inspirational leader. Hiddleston earned especially high praise for his delivery of some of Shakespeare’s most famous speeches, including the rousing St. Crispin’s Day address.

From Shakespearean kings to country music legends, Hiddleston’s portrayal of Hank Williams is a prime example of the actor’s range. “I Saw the Light” charts Williams’ meteoric rise to fame in the ‘30s and ‘40s, focussing especially on his marriage to Audrey and his troubles with alcohol. Hiddleston pulls the whole thing off with style and presence, and a mostly credible southern accent. While some criticism came his way from Williams’ grandson Hank Williams III, the actor’s role did draw praise, and Tom features prominently on the movie’s soundtrack.

As one part of an ensemble cast, Hiddleston’s outing in this 2017 “King Kong” reboot helped spark a new era for the franchise. As Captain James Conrad, he travels to an uncharted island somewhere in the Pacific, leading an expedition team into the heart of Kong’s homeland. And while he’s a veteran of the Vietnam War, there’s more to this guy than just guns and fighting. Conrad’s a wizened soldier, with a brain prepped for battle. Which is handy, because he soon learns that Kong’s not the only monster of this world.

In one of his earliest film roles, Hiddleston plays a pivotal part in this 2010 exploration of family and identity. With Edward about to travel to Africa for eleven months, his mother and sister organise a holiday to Tresco in the Isles of Scilly to see him off. But most of the trip is fraught with tension, particularly over the enforced absence of Edward’s girlfriend, Chloe. Hiddleston strikes just the right tone as a young man coming of age but in crisis, for a film filled with heavy silences, difficult conversations and life-affirming moments.

Tom goes gothic next, for a ghostly, grisly love story straddling both sides of the Atlantic. Hiddleston’s Thomas Sharpe is an English baronet holed up with his sister in the family’s run-down mansion. He weds Edith, an American writer, brings her to the estate and all manner of messed up stuff starts happening. Throughout it all, Thomas is a man conflicted between his original, incestuous plot and the emergence of actual emotional attachments. A stab to the face ought to see him right. Look away now if you’re at all squeamish.

We continue in a darker direction with “Only Lovers Left Alive”, Jim Jarmusch’s original take on the ever-popular vampire trend. Hiddleston stars as Adam, a fanged musician who’s disillusioned with life. And despite the best efforts of Tilda Swinton’s Eve, he’s one wooden bullet away from suicide. Hiddleston tackles the role with mystique and menace in equal measure, flitting between the melancholy artist and misunderstood monster as if it were perfectly natural. He’s by no means your typical twenty-first century vamp, but this genre is a perfect match for Hiddleston’s brooding talents.

While Owen Wilson takes the lead as a nostalgic writer for this Woody Allen homage to the Modernist era, Hiddleston brings to life one of the period’s most influential figures. As F. Scott Fitzgerald in “Midnight in Paris”, he leaves Wilson’s Gil lost for words, albeit because in Gil’s mind Fitzgerald died a long time ago. Hiddleston’s screen time is limited, but he makes every moment count, tapping into Fitzgerald’s skill and style as a wordsmith and socialite. And Tom’s a perfect fit for 1920s café society, with trademark good looks and effortless charm.

Here, Hiddleston plays a recently moved-in resident of a luxury tower block. But his happy life of gym routines, nightly parties and naked sunbathing very quickly evaporates, as the titular high-rise descends into ruin. Dr. Robert Laing watches anarchy unfold within his closed-off community, struggling to avoid becoming involved himself. But a few casual hook-ups here, and a brutal beating there, and he’s just as culpable as everyone else. Before long he’s obsessing over paint and tucking into highly questionable meals, all to an awesome, alternative ABBA/Portishead soundtrack. Needs must, we guess.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Magnus Martinsson
“Wallander” (2008-10)

Freddie Page
“The Deep Blue Sea” (2011)

The Great Escapo
“Muppets Most Wanted” (2014)

This guy is probably the best-loved baddie in the entire MCU. As Loki, Hiddleston brings out all the worst parts of human behaviour, for a role which sees him routinely double-cross his family and relentlessly pursue power. A constant thorn in Thor’s side, he’s also one of the Avenger’s most dangerous enemies. And he’s notoriously difficult to pin down, regardless of whichever high-security cell he’s kept in. From iconic headwear to evil one-liners, made even more badass by Hiddleston’s expert accent, he’s a stand-out supervillain and one of Marvel’s mightiest characters.