Happy Sad Confused - Tom Hiddleston, Vol. V

Episode Date: June 6, 2024

In the very first live taping of Happy Sad Confused in Los Angeles, Tom Hiddleston re-joins the podcast to talk about his long history with LOKI, his future with THE NIGHT MANAGER, and even gets a surprise from friend Eddie Redmayne! SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! ZocDoc -- Go to ⁠Zocdoc.com/HappySad⁠ and download the Zocdoc app for FREE Betterhelp -- Visit ⁠BetterHelp.com/HSC⁠ to get 10% off your first month Storyworth -- Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Storyworth.com/HappySad ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to save $10 on your first purchase! UPCOMING LIVE EVENTS ⁠⁠Julia Louis-Dreyfus June 10th in NYC -- ⁠Get tickets here⁠ Dakota Johnson June 11th in NYC -- Get tickets here Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes, video versions of the podcast, and more! To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I'm going places, but I don't need to travel far to get there. I enrolled in fall classes at the new SLCC Haremont campus right here in my neighborhood. It's brand new, with 91,000 square feet of amenities like a STEM learning center and career services. There's so much I can study, from economics to psychology to information systems, and I'll save big on tuition with SLCC's low cost. See you this fall at SLCC in Harriman. Enroll today at SLCC.edu slash haremon. It never feels like the same job, and I never want it to.

Because I think the audience, you in the audience, deserve that. You don't, it will be no, there's no interest to anyone for me to reheat yesterday's meal in the microwave. You want a new dish from the same chef. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused, begins now. Thank you guys for being here. I'm Josh Horowitz, and today on Happy, Sad, Confused, we are live for the very first time in Los Angeles

with Tom Hiddleston, everybody. Thank you all so much for selling out this. this theater, first of all. Amazing, you're awesome. This is a big moment, to be honest, for me in this podcast. I've been doing this podcast for 10 years, over 10 years. Thank you. And we do a lot of live events in my hometown, New York City, and we've been wanting to do this for so long, and here we are, our very first live event outside of the city in Los Angeles, of course. So thank you for making this happen. And of course, I can't think of a better possible guest to do this with than the legend that is Mr. Tom Hiddleston, everybody.

I have had the pleasure of knowing this man for nearly 15 years. He is like the character that most of you probably know him best for, a complete shapeshifter. He can do anything. Unlike that character, he is one of the most genuine kindest people I know, truly. He is always there for me. again today on this momentous day, please give a warm welcome to Tom Hiddleston, everybody. You all look terrific. Thank you. Thank you.

Welcome, man. It's good to see you, buddy. Thank you. Yeah, good to see you in Los Angeles. I mean, if I'm gonna make the trip out, it's gonna be for you. We have done a lot over the years. We have slumber partied. We have talked in New York, in London.

We've never done a live event like this with an audience before. This is the first time. It's usually just Josh and myself in a room. Yeah. But we're at the stage where we need validation from people, so you're here for that. No such thing is live. It's true. Well, I was going to say, look, you are a creature of the live theater. What do you feel right before you step on a stage, generally speaking? I feel all of the physical symptoms that remind me what I'm about to do is unusual. It's not like an everyday

It's not like making a cup of coffee in the morning It's not like brushing your teeth You know, it's not like writing a note It's unusual And so I feel all that sense of I get butterflies every time But I think the butterflies are necessary I think that's your body preparing you

To do something unusual And I think they said, I can't remember who it was They analyzed the chemicals your body releases when you get butterflies, and they're basically exactly the same chemicals as when you get very, very excited. So I just try to go, oh, that's my body getting excited.

This means I'm doing it right, because if you're bored, if you don't care, that's the first sign. It's time to hang up the horns. Never. I'm curious, like, over the years, you've worked with so many luminaries. Do you ever get lost, like, in the eyes of another performer?

You're watching, like, Anthony Hopkins, right there. You're watching Judy Dench right there. Do you ever catch yourself saying I'm watching, I have to do my part, but I want to enjoy this? I remember it really clearly it happened on Avengers, the first Avengers movie. One of my first scenes in the schedule was the two-hander with Samuel L. Jackson and Loki, with Nick Fury and Loki, and Loki's in a cell in in the helicarier so long ago now you've got 400 people that can fill in the gaps if you forget anything it's okay anyway he's he's he's willingly been taken prisoner and thinks he has all the cards or all the aces up his sleeve and and it's a terrific scene um between loki and nick fury

Nick Fury kind of frustrated at Loki's seeming ease with the whole situation. But Sam was so is, remains, so... Hello. Hello? For those of you listening at home, the sound dropped out for a second. I didn't just get awestruck by the memory of Samuel R. Jackson. That's how intimidating Sam Jackson is. So charismatic, silence.

No, Sam is just the most electrifying performer and I've been such an admirer of his since being a very young man and had looked up to him and his performances and he's got such an iconic presence and such an amazing voice and he was giving it to me both barrels and I was like, oh my God, Sam Jackson is the best actor I have ever seen. Wait, I'm Loki. Loki doesn't think that. Back into character. Yeah. So, we are obviously going to talk about a great number of things. Most recently, of course, what an amazing season of Loki, Season 2, remarkable. Congratulations. Thank you so much. Thank you. But I want to start at the beginning, at least, of this.

I mean, I feel like we're tethered to each other for 15 years, talking about you and Loki in different incarnations, in different projects. and it all goes back to Comic-Con. I want to show a photo. We have a photo here, guys. Is I go look at this? No, there it is. So that is, that's your first,

that was probably your first Comic-Con. That was when Thor debuted. First time at San Diego Comic-Con, which was July of 2010. Yeah, that's right. This was when this picture was taken. Now, you had the experience. Me, a children, both of us.

We were children. Were you confident in what you had just done? You had this life altering, this huge experience, the great Ken Brana, this amazing role. Do you remember that Comic-Con feeling like we have it in the bag? Did you have nerves? Like what was your attitude then? It was so interesting, actually. It's a great question.

I remember our producer, a terrific, passionate, energetic producer called Craig Kyle on that movie. And he was like, just, and again, awestruck into silence. For the tech, maybe we have the backup microphone ready, just in case. So Craig had said to me, just you wait till he get to San Diego, that room, the energy in H is so generous and so excited and passionate. And so I was really looking forward to it. And I think, I guess it was just an unknown. I didn't know what to expect.

But he was absolutely right. When we screened some footage or trailer, maybe we did we screen under thing? I can't remember, but it was all of us. It was Kenneth Browner, Chris Hammersworth, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, and myself, and Kevin Feige. And I was just, Chris and I were giddy.

We were overwhelmed. overwhelmed by the whole thing and I hadn't seen the movie I didn't I knew what I had done I knew what I had shot but I hadn't seen it cut together I think we'd only just wrapped we'd sort of two months after we wrapped so that's always that strange comic-con thing they like launch you out into like out of a canon essentially yeah I've had that experience so many times with folks that are in the middle of production or have just wrapped and then suddenly they're in front of 6,000 people and they're still processing what they've just gone through yeah and I was also weirdly enough that

year was a kind of busy year for me and I had flown from London because I was in pre-production for war horse and I'd been just on a horse for weeks and weeks and weeks trying to get up to speed and precision of being a First World War cavalry officer and I remember flying in a plane with Hugo weaving because he was flying he was in the middle of production for Captain America the first Avenger and we sat next to each other on the ride over and I was like I want a plane with Hugo weaving this is amazing yeah I have a feeling you saw like the Matrix 10 times yeah exactly I mean just also the nicest man you could ever hope to me and the most the the actor's actor I think and we just were swapping stories and I was like what's

Captain America like and he's like I don't know we're just starting it now it seems pretty fun. Crazy. Red Skull and Loki sitting at the back of a plane preparing those. You don't want to see those two on a plane. Anything could happen. That's the background of that photograph. And Josh was very, very nice to me.

I was 14 years old. It's a very big moment for me. Just gone through puberty. Just a small note for the audience. If you have your cameras out, now's the time to put them away. Because this is for the audience here. We want to keep this special. This will run as a podcast.

down the line, but I want to keep this kind of in the room right now. So thank you in advance. I think there are many reasons why these folks and millions around the world love what you do, Tom. It's obviously about the work, but it's also about how seriously you take Loki and Marvel. Because I feel like it's the difference. You know, Marvel has its ups and downs. Today it's on top. Tomorrow, maybe people aren't fans.

But all throughout, you have taken this role and this work. as seriously as you would Hamlet seemingly. Yeah. Was that from the start? I mean, did you, is that just part of your ethos? That like it's, it doesn't matter what the trappings are. The role is the role. Well, I just love it so much.

I love making the work. I love telling stories. I love the thrill of getting to infuse a character with life. And it's a life that isn't mine. And it's about the exploration or I'm allowed the privilege of exploring, experiencing and expressing the experience of being alive in so many different shapes. And when that experience of being alive comes along in the shape of Loki, it was such a grand opportunity to tell a huge mythic story on a story. scale I hadn't been I hadn't had access to and I was really aware of the the privilege of of inhabiting this ancient complex character that represents

playfulness and transgression and disruption and spontaneity and some mercurial unpredictable quality that we need in our lives and yeah there was just I was just I jumped in feet first or head first whichever is the more enthusiastic and I love that it's and I said this before but I know I wouldn't be here still talking about Loki were it not for the extraordinary enthusiasm and passion and love that the audience feel for him and I know that I'm still here because of that So take me back before you get this role.

You have a prosperous career, particularly in the theater, back home. Were there roles that you felt in film were going to change your life? Were you up for major roles that you were close to getting that you thought, oh, this is going to start my new film career? Or was Loki the first one of that stripe? I'm actually trying to think back. I used to keep a sheet of professional audition appointments. I'd have the project and the director

and the casting director. And then if I got a call back, it would go in bold. And then when I just didn't book any jobs, I was like, I'm gonna stop making this list. This is a depressing wall to stare at. Yeah, like, oh no, it's like 100 pages long. But there were some, you know, it's the great joy looking back of that,

time in my life was I auditioned for everything. I auditioned to play so many different characters. Television series, small movies, big movies. I'm trying to think of something specific. Here's one, maybe the jog your memory, Pirates of the Caribbean. Yes. Yes, I auditioned for Pirates of the Caribbean when I was five years old. No, sadly, I wasn't a I was about 19 or 20, but I just had no idea of what I was doing. I was so green and clueless. And it was really early in my, I had only just been lucky enough to sign with a professional agent, and I'd only been for a couple of auditions on camera.

Every other audition I'd done was standing on a stage in an auditorium for a play. And a very good friend of mine was celebrating his birthday, and I didn't want to let him down. It was the night before the audition. And actually, I only got wind of the audition at, like, 6 p.m. on a Thursday night. And I'm like, you're in at 9 o'clock tomorrow. And then I got through, like, 25 pages of script. And I was like, okay, well.

And then my agent said, it's okay, there's not much time. So just going in and read. I'm like, okay, I've been told you going on. Read. Nobody told me that read means learn your lines. Like, learn them inside out, back to front. I sense a tough lesson coming. Yeah, it was fine.

It was fine. But I was, it was, everything happens for a reason. And everyone in Pirates of the Caribbean is terrific in their roles. And so they should be. And I should, there's no reason I should have been in that film. Have you ever lied about a skill to try to get a job? Yes, I can ride a horse. Yes, I speak Russian.

Yes, I can juggle. Do you embellish skills in the interest of getting work? That's a really good question. Have I ever done that? The annoying answer probably is, yeah, Josh, I can do all those things, so I don't have to lie. I mean, I think, I don't think I knew, I don't know if he would mind me telling the story. He's told this story publicly. Eddie Redmayne and I have known each other for a long time.

He's the absolute best. The best guy, I know you know him. He told me a story of lying about horse riding and then being like, okay, great. And his first day on set, they put him on a horse and said, can you just gallop through this courtyard and stop on a mark and don't hit the camera? And he was like, this might be the time.

You so have to gallop. Like a full speed gallop. He's like, the director was like, yeah, you gallop. And he went, yeah, I don't know if I should. I don't know if I should. And so I made sure that if I ever put horse riding on my resume, I was like, I'm going to brush up on my equestrian skills. It's quite funny you bring up Eddie Redmayne.

You two go way back. I hit up our mutual friend Eddie, and he sent in a little video message for you. Should we take a look, Tom? Are you for real? Would I lie about something like that? We're all going to watch this together from the great Eddie Met, Redmayne, currently on Broadway and Cabaret.

Let's take a look. Hey, everyone. Hey, Tom. Hey, Josh. I hope you guys are well. I'm sending lots of love from New York where I'm doing a play that involves wearing lots of makeup.

And I'm tempted to take all the eye makeup off but I'm struggling and failing. So the Dothic look is my new look. I have been lucky enough to know, Tom, since I was a kid. We were at the same school together, same university together. And so I've seen his genius close hand from an early age. So I remember particularly one amazing performance when, he must have been about 16 in a production of Tom Stoppard's Arcadia,

that blew my mind. And so that's my question for you, Tom. are there any people, whether it was teachers at school or university or maybe a drama school, who are kind of mentor figures, or is there anyone you use now when you're prepping for a role? Are there people you go to to help? Yeah. Anyway, I wish I was there to hear the response. I'm sending you tons of love.

Be well. That is so touching. I did not expect that I told that Eddie Redmayne's story just so anyway He's the genuine article as you well know Unconscious transmission

That's right If you want to say something about Chris Hemsworth We'll try to get a video up By the way The play that Eddie Redmayne is doing on Broadway It's not any old play It's Cabaret And he plays the

MC and it is completely magisterial. It is a total masterpiece, his performance. I saw it in London. Did you see it in London? Yeah, it's not. Yeah. He is amazing. Are they opened yet? They're on previews now in New York. They're in previews, yeah. Yeah. So who do you look to? Let's answer Eddie's question.

Is there a mentor? You know, I had a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, which is where I trained from 2002 to 2005 I called John Baskitzer and he was he basically in in five words summed up what acting is

I think which is being truthful in imaginary circumstances and I think it's perfect I think it's the perfect way of framing what we do for a living is the situation is imaginary. It's pretend. It's not real. It's a fiction. But the joy that we all share in it is that we recognize things that seem true about life. And that when you're, if I'm ever stuck

about anything, it's just go back to basics. Be truthful. Okay, flights on air Canada. Oh, wow. Mayorka. That's new. Oh, nice. But Vienna is a close. Classic, Mozart, palaces and schnitzel. Now you're cooking. If you're hungry, deli brings the heat. Heat. Cartagena's got sun and the sea to cool off. So does Martinique.

And that French cuisine? Book it. Yes, chef. Wait, what about Lyon? Choose from our world of destinations if you can. Air Canada. Nice travels. During the Volvo Fall Experience event,

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or you're wearing horns or whatever. At the end of the day, it's about that moment. And also he used to say a great thing, which I often used to quote actually on season two of Loki to Justin Benson and Aaron Morehead. If you don't believe me, you can ask them, the directors. I used to sometimes start a scene and go, remember, this has never happened before.

And that's such as, it's actually a real jolt of energy before you do a scene, is to remember that for the character, this has never happened before. Maybe you've been practicing, you've been doing your choreography or running your lines, but the magic of it has to be, this is the first time. not have a hododop my box today and let it on your pizza or melt's it's all by kifek and your and your general or mishoreup your chyarartic myrots you're not to end up

here's your churot your and your menu pizzerat my box the new borgs in your shurot and your pizahat I'llolpil today Pizzer hat I'llolpil today I'm curious like when you think of a character like loki who from the beginning has been an outcast, has been looking for a place in the universe, a family, a community,

something, a meaning. I think that's in one way why we all relate to this villainous character, because it's something we've all felt in our lives. Anti-heroic, I think. Yeah. And for you, I mean, growing up, like, I would imagine, you know, you found a community in acting. I mean, were you both an artist and a jock growing up, or did you have trouble kind of figuring out what were you fit in? Do you remember times where you maybe felt like you didn't have a place

growing up and did acting kind of figure that out for you? That's a really good question. I think I definitely felt huge freedom in drama and I seem to understand it really early. I don't say that with any entitlement. I just loved it. I loved playing other characters and working out how to refine a moment in a scene and rehearsing and re-running, refining, refining, sharpening it, delivering it. And it might be just a joke, making somebody laugh, doing something funny. But I'll be honest, I also love sport. And I played sport at school and loved it.

And maybe that's kind of, there's just, I feel like acting and the things I've done have married all of that. They've married my love of physical freedom, imaginative freedom. And the thing that those two things share is that they are the whole point of being an actor and being in sport

is that you're part of a team and that we rise together. And I love that. Like being in a company of actors on a film or in a play and being in a team of people. And we only win if we win together. And I love that thing.

When on a set in a far-flung location somewhere and it's pouring with rain and it's three in the morning and you're about to do the scene, you're like, look at us. You know, here we are. We're doing this. No one else is doing this. I remember feeling that on the set of Avengers, just remembering it.

We were in Albuquerque in New Mexico. and which is where a lot of the film was shot on the sound stages there and New Mexico is pretty quiet and we were just all of us Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey walking around this lot in these amazing superhero costumes in mid-August like and everybody else is at the beach somewhere Look at up. Look at what we're doing.

This is so exciting. We're going to make this. This feels crazy. But fun. And there's that feeling of spirit that spreads through a company. Same thing happens on stage, you know, backstage, sharing a dressing room, doing a play. So, yeah, I definitely feel that my place is in that community. if there's any consistency to this character

it's saying goodbye to him multiple times through the years I apologize not entirely my responsibility which of the many exits felt most emotional at the time that's a good question

like do you on the third exit be like yeah I've been through this before I guess no the most have to say the most emotional was the finale of Loki season two I just was it I felt incredibly moved and I think it was because it was this magical day and on the set I was actually bizarrely enough for someone who's been so an actor who's been surrounded by so many other actors I was on my own that day and but I was in the company of the most amazing crew and the crew were there for me and this beautiful piece of direction by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson before we did it this is sitting on the the big chair at the end

of time holding it all together and before we were due to role Aaron said it was a great idea. He said, why don't you go back? We're going to be setting up for a while. It's a complex shot. Cameras on a techno crane. We need to get the move right. So we've got a bit of time. Go back into your dressing room and just have a look at the last

15 years of playing this character. Just watch it. And think about what that means to you. And I went back and I did it. I watched some stuff and I was so I just was reminded of this

extraordinary journey, so many, long, fulfilling, rewarding, exploratory chapters of my own life with all these amazing, extraordinary people who had given me so much. And it was like watching all of them. And then when I walked back into the set, I felt I was carrying them with me. And I had Ken Branner and Chris Hemsworth at my side and Tony Hopkins and René Russo and all of the Avengers. And my fellow colleagues in Loki, Owen Wilson, Sophia de Martino, Kiwi Kuan, Womi Musaku, Eugene Cordero, even though they weren't there, they were sort of with me,

and it was emotional day. My sense from you is I feel like every line you've ever uttered in a film is just still in there. It's like steel trap up there. These are easy. Finish this Loki line. This audience can do it for you if you can't do it. You got this. I am Loki of Asgard.

And I am burdened with glorious purpose. It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lore of freedom diminishes your life's joy and a mad scramble for power for identity. You were made to be ruled. It took me a second. This is when you know, oh, he's definitely middle-aged. Infinity War, I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again.

I don't want to hurt you. I don't want a throne. I just want you to be okay. That's Loki season one finale. And this one, if you don't get it, then we're going to get a doctor in here. I could have done it, Father. I could have done it.

For you. For all of us. This proves my point, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, one-man show, coming to Broadway. When? Just do the whole thing from end to end. We just had our first preview, and would you guys go to see that? It could be fun. It's not a bad idea.

It's the strangest place you've been quoted a line from Loki. Where do you get it? I mean, I imagine literally every part of your life. It follows you around. Yes. The strangest place I've been quoted a line. I tell you what always happens is when I'm going through TSA at the airport, literally every single time, there's a really, there's a guy with like a smile just beaming from ear to ear.

And he'll, he can't step away from his station because he's doing his job. Honestly, this happens every time he goes. And if you're listening at home, my mic didn't cut out. I actually didn't say anything. And I re-enacted Loki being Hulk smashed by Hulk at the end of Avengers. And, yeah, it's a fun time. At this point in your life... It's also really exposing because I'm not wearing any shoes.

I've taken my belt off. Everything's going through. I'm like, yep. That happened. That was me, kind of. At this point, how plugged into the Internet and how prevalent you are on it are you? I mean, at a certain point, did you have to shut off

because I feel like you've been, like, with all due respect, the Internet's boyfriend for like 15 years? You've been... I feel like the Internet has a few boyfriends. They're seeing a lot of people, it's true. But you're one of them. Well, you're very kind. I think the internet's probably moved on.

Have you ever ventured into the dark waters of TikTok? Have you ever seen what's out there? I actually don't know anything about TikTok. Although there was a strange moment when one summer, I think a couple of years ago, I suddenly was being stopped in the street by different people with great excitement and pointing at me going, you're the dancer. And I was like, no, no, I'm the actor.

And I think there was a clip of me dancing that had gone back up, sort of, I'm hearing affirmative in the one. Do friends and family send you clips when things start to circulate to kind of keep you abreast of the situation? They send me absolutely nothing. Really? Yeah. This is probably for the best, yeah, for your own psychological well-being. Yeah. No, it's like absolute silence, yeah.

Again, for the best. One of the things, if you'll indulge me that I've always loved talking about with you, we're both movie geeks, and we grew up around the same time. You love a lot of the greats of the 80s and 90s. Like, what were the movies, what were like the two or three movies you knew by heart growing up that were your kind of obsession? Ah, that's a good question. Back to the Future?

Yeah. No, and back to the future too. But by omission, no, you didn't like the Old West, you didn't like when they... I like three. Okay. Yeah. Okay, I'm just asking. I don't know, maybe I had, I think I had copies on VHS of one and two, and I couldn't find three.

It was hard being young back then, guys. Would you rather play Doc Brown or Marty McFlock? I think at this point in my life I'm headed more towards Doc Brown There were, to be honest, when I was watching Season 2 of Loki, I felt like there were Doc Brown moments When you're explaining, trying to explain to everybody What's going on? Yeah

There's a manic Doc Brown quality I mean that in the highest possible Maybe that's unconsciously gone in there somewhere Yeah, die hard was another one Absolutely loved that movie The last of the Mohicans? The best. The last 20 minutes of that film, I still maintain,

and I maintain it yearly, and then have to double check, and I'm proved absolutely correct. They are silent, there is no dialogue. It's pure cinema, image and music, and extraordinary performance. It's just breathtaking. But heat, speaking of Michael Mann, over Mohicans in the end of the day. Okay, aren't we on, we're on Wilshire Boulevard right now? Oh, we're close to where the old, Kate Mantellini.

So Kate Mantellini is the name of the restaurant where the scene in the middle of heat takes place with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Yeah, you'll apologize. This is when like 2.40-something dudes just talk about heat for like... You know what, though? I'm like, I'm like converting people slowly. So Justin Benson and Aaron Morehead had never seen heat. And I was like, I don't know if we can work together. I didn't actually say that.

Maybe I did. Anyway, they watched it and they were like, how has this not been in our lives? They absolutely loved it. That's another one-man show. You, I bet, could do the diner scene by yourself, both parts. That's in there.

That's a, yeah. It's actually watching a bit of it the other night. And the soundtrack is so good. I wonder if they knew what they were doing when they did it. It is magic. And I tell you what. As a great cinephile, the magic of that film, it all stems from Michael Mann because the magic is the detail. It's so inspiring for that reason because there's so much detail in every single frame, every single story beat.

Some of these twists in the story hang by like a tiny thread and you know that he's been painstaking about it. And I take that on, I mean, in absolute seriousness, as an actor and a, a, uh, a, a, a, uh, a, a, a tiny thread. And you know that he's been painstaking about it. actor and a producer it's just is really take care of the detail because it's so you know you don't have to get every detail as an audience member but I think you can sense when it hangs together like a well-made watch and he is the most beautiful well-made watch there is in terms of you probably I mean like you've worked with some amazing filmmakers I mean Spielberg Jarmouche like when you're talking just now I'm thinking of someone like Yermo Guillermo who is so like has

everything to a tea. Everything. The same, same attention to detail, the same love of every detail, the same passion, that actually that's the fun of what we do, is that you're creating a world, and of course the world is

full of specific things, and when you're being imaginative, it's very rewarding. Like Guillermo on Crimson Peak, I may have told this story before, but there was the most extraordinary set in Toronto, on I think what was then the largest sound

stage in North America and they built the interior of the house with the staircase going up of Allardale Hall and there was cracked plaster on the wall by the stairs

and the crack if you looked closely spelled out the word fear and I was like this is just next level detail. Yeah, he's a magician. Speaking of fear, when's the last time you accepted a role and then had that burst of excitement followed by that tinge of fear? Every time. Yeah. Every time I play Loki. Is that true? Yeah. Here we go again. You don't have the confidence that it's in the well. You know this character. It's fun when I connect, when I'm like, ooh.

Sorry? Why he's the internet's boyfriend, always. Well, you know, you turn the engine on and it's humming and you're in gear and you're like, here we go. This is going to be fun. Yeah. When your investors, customers and workers demand more from your business, make it happen with SAP. The AI powered capabilities of SAP can help you streamline costs, connect with new suppliers and manage payroll, even when your business is being pulled in.

different directions. To deliver a quality product at a fair price, while paying your people what they're worth, too. So your business can stay unfazed. Learn more at SAP.com slash uncertainty. Oh, this is it, the day you finally ask for that big promotion. You're in front of your mirror with your Starbucks coffee. Be confident, assertive, remember eye contact, but also remember to blink. Smile, but not too much. That's weird. What if you aren't any good at your job? What if they about you instead. Okay, don't be silly. You're smart, you're driven, you're going to be late if you keep talking to the mirror. This promotion is yours. Go get them. Starbucks, it's never just coffee. But I hasten to add, it never feels like the same job and I never want it to. Because I think

the audience, you in the audience, deserve that. You don't, it will be no, there's no interest to anyone for me to reheat yesterday's meal in the microwave. You want. a new dish from the same chef. I've never said that before. I'm clipping that into a commercial for your career. Hey, coming soon. You know what they want. But I have been known to say that on set, actually.

It's like, or in production meetings, development meetings. I'm like, listen, I know everyone loved this the first time. but that was the first time. We're doing it another time, so it's got to be different. It's got to be the same ingredients. It's got to be low key, but the challenges have got to be new. The scenario has got to be new. The stakes have to be higher or different, and that's the fun of it. That really is the fun of it. And we've done that all the way through. When we came to Thor the Dark World, I remember Chris and I going, well, we've done this. Like the brothers are fighting each other and those are the stakes. There have to be something different here.

So that's when they became like uneasy allies and so on and so forth. You're not to end up. Here's your rules that you'd love you. Menu Pizzahat My Box, the new, Phaeux, the new Shorotka Hut, Pizzahat, I'llolp the day. Pizzahat, I'll tell today. So, as we tape this, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the news that breaks today, as we tape this, we're very excited, this has been a long time coming, night manager is coming back. So I'm so happy to be able to share that news with you.

I can't tell you, because we've been working on it for a while. And the first season of the Night Manager was and remains one of the most creatively fulfilling projects I have ever worked on. of Jonathan Pine is so deep and has so much range and complexity inhabiting the world of John LeCarray and it's taken some time to find the right story and but I'm really really pleased it was just so important if we were ever gonna go back we were ever gonna go back to that those characters we had to if the story had to be absolutely perfect and what's so exciting is that we made the first well the first season

came out in 2016 and what we have assumed is that these characters have been living in the world since then and a lot has happened in the world and that's what's really exciting is to is to bring all of the of the if you think of a character like Jonathan Pine Le Carre used to call him the close observer. The something of the, and he talks about the joy of the field agent as self-imposed schizophrenia,

that you're playing so many different realities. And he's such an intelligent close observer, and I'm fascinated to explore what he's been observing about the world in the time. I mean, what a gift to have not one, but two characters that you can put into different situations and find new tales to tell. Amazing.

Really exciting. And what's so special, I think, of what I found so rewarding is that Jonathan Pines' truth is almost a buried secret, possibly even to himself. And he's so agile in being other people to get information. And I think that's something I've always been interested in about performance and also about life, is that we might present an exterior to the world

which is polished and refined and immaculate and unobtrusive. Nothing to see here. But behind that mask of calm is something much more turbulent, much more wild, and I think that's really true of Pine. Are you trying to tell us something about yourself today? It's okay, you're in a safe space. It's okay, no, no.

I do think that's a lot, I think lots of people, I think it's a fascinating part of being alive is like, sometimes you find yourself in a situation where there is a lot going on on the inside, but it doesn't, it's contained, it doesn't come spilling out. And I think the best spies are possibly individuals who have an almost sort of preternatural capacity to contain their own inner most truth so that they don't betray themselves to their enemies. It's very stressful. I found playing John's the Bible as in I could sense this would be stressful and possibly I would be a very stressful. very bad spy. Right, the constant mask that has to be up 24-7. I like, I kind of like being me. Yeah, we like you being you. Thank you. But sometimes be Loki too. We like that too.

Yeah, I mean, he's like, he's right here. He's always close. There's our friend. We have some audience questions and the good news is I'm going to read an audience question and you're going to get an autograph poster from Tom if I select your question. So if you could just raise your hand after I read your name an usher's going to find you and give you a poster. I know, you're jealous. I'm sorry.

But Marissa from Phoenix, you're getting a poster. Marissa asked, are you interested in directing? Marissa, raise your hand, so we can all cheer for you. Marissa. Hi, Marissa. So are you interested in directing either in theater or film,

Marissa would like to know? Great question. I'm certainly not close to the idea, but I am yet to find something, I have such respect for directing, and the extraordinary breadth of vision that that requires and leadership and responsibility. So I wouldn't take it lightly, but I think I would need to find material where I felt I could be useful. But there's still time. Well, I mean, obviously your creative hand in Loki and Nightmatcher as a producer, you're getting more and more involved, so I would imagine. I've loved that. I've loved producing Loki. I say I'm an executive producer, but which is to say, and to translators, I have a place at the table in very, very early on in development. And so I'm in the writer's role.

talking to the writers, talking to the producers, generating story, thinking what should be the next thing. And that's so, you can imagine, there are some afternoons where it's just blue sky thinking. And some of the things you come up with and the things you aim at, I remember coming to the writer's room and saying, for season two, and just writing on the whiteboard, glorious purpose. And the whole show should be an expiration of that phrase. not just for Loki but for Mobius and for Sylvie and for B15 and for the TVA the TVA this organization that has become fragmented and corrupted and can this broken institution be repurposed for a better use that everyone is wrestling with with

glorious purpose and then we just kind of talked about it for the afternoon and that became one of the backbones of the, of this season. Ming Yu, I hope I'm pronouncing your name correctly, Ming Yu from China, wants to know. Ming Yu raised my name. Okay. If you can only play one Shakespeare show, which one is it going to be? What's on the list next for Shakespeare? Who do you want to play?

What's... I can either confirm nor deny that. Well, I know... Thank you, Ming Yu for your question. I know things, but I'm not able to discuss them at this time. Okay. I'm a journalist, so I'm going to follow up briefly. Theater, film? I can't tell you.

Wow. Thought we were friends, buddy. We're excited. Okay, so there's something your potential. Yeah, but if they were, sorry, your question was which Shakespeare, if I could only do one for the rest of my life, really difficult,

because I haven't done very many when you think about it. Oh, I don't know. Instinctively, I don't know, I suppose I have to answer your question. I've loved doing them all. I was in a production of Othello in London in 2007, 2008, at the Donmar Warehouse. Othello was played by Tuatel Egiore, and Ewan McGreg played I played Iago. And I've stayed in really close touch with both of them. They've both become very close friends.

And it was such a happy, ironically for such a painful play. It was such a happy company and a really happy time. time. And I always fondly remember the happiness of those times. And there are certain rituals that I have about being in the theater that I started then and they've sustained now. And I always think of all those guys. Yeah, they were great, great people and magnificent actors. I mean, I've such fondness for that era of when your buddy, Ken Brano, was doing so many great films, Shakespeare, Hamlet, Henry the Fifth. He started with Henry the Fifth, didn't he?

He was like 25. He was 13 age. Yeah, 25, 27. 27, yeah. Madness. Hats off to him. And then much ado, Hamlet, loves Labor's Lost. He played I think, but he didn't direct it. Correct. With Lawrence Fishburn. Yeah. Fernando Marquez. Fernando raise your hand please hey wants to go down memory lane a little bit

what was it like working with Chris Hemsworth what were your first memories of Chris the best like what was it like my it just is Chris had shared the greater part of my adult life he is my brother from another mother yeah as I I just will never forget that those early years together because we were both so overwhelmingly grateful to be given this an extraordinary opportunity. And within hours of meeting, we were going to be, it was so obvious, we had the same sense of humor, and we were going to be friends. And we just enjoyed the whole thing. It was like being on a roller coaster for two, just a roller coaster with one carriage and two people in it.

It's a tight squeeze, big boy. It's a tight squeeze. But at least on the roller coaster, you could look across and be like, this is wild. And so, yeah, now at this distance, to look back on that, I just feel so grateful to share the journey with him and had the privilege of creating the relationship between Thor and Loki with him.

He's the best. When you look at the amount of bison meat and chicken he's had to eat over the years, are you kind of happy you didn't get the Thor roll? Like, this wall worked out for the best. Everything is as it should be. Yes. When are we going to see you sing again?

I saw the light, speaking of challenges and being afraid, I would imagine that must have been a huge... Is that on the list? Is that put fear into your... into your mind to think about singing? For sure. That, well, that, can I just interrupt this program for a second?

How is the sound quality with the microphone? That's good, okay, okay. It's us that can't understand each other, don't worry. Okay, okay, because I'm like, is this too loud? Was that too loud? It's too loud. I thought so. Thank you for your confirmation.

The theater actor in me always worrying about acoustics. So I saw the light, Hank Williams, yes. The script was so moving and the pitch of Mark Abraham our lovely, brilliant director and writer was that Hank Williams' genius as a lyricist and a songwriter

had come directly from his personal relationships chief among them with Audrey May Shepard, his first wife. And so he was interweaving the story of this relationship with this musical journey he was on as a young man. And that's why I wanted to do the film. I thought, wow, what amazing thesis that actually an artist truly is drawing on his own life. And it was so authentic that it transmitted across America

and then across time. Because if you listen to Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen or Keith Richards talk about or Johnny Cash, they talk about why they became musicians. It's because they heard Hank Williams on the radio. And so these were big boots. And I thought, oh, well, you know, at the time I, there was a vague physical resemblance I had to him. but the singing was completely new. And then the singing was not just in my own voice,

but it was in his voice. And, yeah, getting that right was the journey of a thousand miles. Are you ready to do it again? What, sing is Hank Williams? Not Hank Williams, just a full-on musical, whether it's on stage or on screen. Is that something that still feels like new territory? Definitely. I'm open to it.

Okay. Yeah. But there are people like Eddie Redmayne who have been blessed with pipes that are extremely pleasing to listen to. And I don't know that I have those pipes. Not without attitude. Okay.

But, you know, the idea of, yeah, you know, I look at things like, I don't know, the guys and dolls or... What are the great movie music? musicals we've had. La La Land was wonderful. The Greatest Showman, you know, so... Would you ever, I would imagine you could and would teach acting. Have you ever taught acting? Would you ever teach acting? I guess. I mean... I mean, I've gone into, I've gone back to drama schools and I've gone in to take various classes. I get enormous pleasure from it,

but only because I just get, there's so much energy and so much passion in those rehearsal rooms. And it's so inspiring to be around young actors who are just bursting with energy and curiosity. And I feel like the feedback loop is incredibly enriching. And I just, I suppose I can impart some of the things I've learned. I try and think, what did I not know that I wish I had known? and everyone has a version of that. And some of it's really simple, which is relax, you know, breathe, enjoy it. Be yourself.

Don't try and be anybody else. Even though it's so tempting as an actor to think, oh, I must watch how other people do it. But you have to find how you do it. And that's actually the answer. But then part of, I think, the journey you have to go on is studying other actors, I suppose. But it's... Sometimes people are curious because they don't know.

They want to ask me, how do you? Like, yes, acting is being truthful in imaginary circumstances, but how do you do that when you're being suspended by wires and you're on a blue screen or a green screen and there's nothing else? Like, what do you do? You know, so they're interested by that, I guess. Some profoundly random questions.

The happy say I confused profoundly random questionnaire for you. Some of these are designed to get you work, potentially. So you're welcome in advance. Paddington or Harry Potter, which franchise do you want in on? I could see you in both. I could see Paddington. It's had to go with my gut there. Back to Harry Potter.

Yeah. Okay. I'm going to get my people on it. Mission Impossible or John Wick? Ooh. Mission Impossible. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson. Now, I'm allowed to walk around Los Angeles and that. then come back and tell you tomorrow we'll wait we'll be here both of them like yeah the best directors working today uh star wars or star trek star wars star wars star wars star wars now okay follow up see you're one of those actors i could see in any kind of thing in star wars you could

be the jett i could be the hero you'd be a hell of a batty i've seen you fan cast it as Palpatine, young Palpatine, before the skin issues, you know. Okay, I was going to say maybe I need to get a little older for that. Yeah. Even Palpatine was the internet's boyfriend at some point early on, I'm sure. So anything you particular want in Star Wars, can I secret into the universe, a kind of role in Star Wars? I, um, I don't know. I genuinely don't know. I'm open to all of it. What an amazing. Wouldn't amazing. Wouldn't amazing thing to be part of. Yeah.

Last actor you were mistaken for. Sophia de Martino. Sorry. I've just come from a recording at Jimmy Kimmel. It's my great pleasure. And they had a thing which I think you can probably find now, which is an app, maybe a real app, or it may have just have been a sting,

which is they scan your face in this. which celebrity do you look most like? And it was like, bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo pho phofea which I thought was a tremendous gag. The future was sound effects, too, I've just discovered. I realize I just want to apologize to Sophia de Martino. She does not look like me. What's the YouTube rabbit hole you fell into? Tennis.

highlights of the which tournament was it I think it was the Australian Open yeah it is it steals time from me tennis I just I find myself going oh I miss that match I'll just watch the first set cut to five hours later Tom come out of your room

what drives you crazy on a set what drives me crazy I think actually it's a sense of it's so special to be there and when things are moving when I feel like time is passing and it's not being usefully it's not being kind of respected or used

It's just, I'm desperate, like, we, I always used to say this. Isn't it amazing? We are all here today, and we're never coming back. So let's harvest as much as we can. Let's do as much as we can. Let's dream as big as we can. Let's do as many takes as we can. Let's just keep going.

Let's not stop. Of course, you do have to stop and have lunch and stuff. But, yeah, I think it's just wanting to stay in the zone of, of, where the magic happens. Wrapping up to get a little profound on you, what's your glorious purpose as an actor, do you think? Okay. For me, and this goes back to when I was a child

or a young person, I think there were certain things I was lucky enough to watch from the audience when I was a teenager, probably, in the theater and on the screen in the movies. And I'm thinking of, Last of the Mohicans, I'm thinking of One Fleur of the Cuckoo's Nest, I'm thinking of a production of John Gabriel Borkman,

which is Ibsen play, which I saw at the National Theater. And there are many, many other titles, but specifically about, if I can use that, last one, it was this understanding I had that, so I walked in to the theatre and I was aware I was in a room full of strangers. And I, and the lights went down and I watched this play and it was a very profound play about a family fragmenting a part and I found myself completely overwhelmed with emotion. And it felt as if these actors, Paul Schofield, Vanessa Redgrave, Eileen Atkins were talking to me.

And they didn't know me, but I got so much from the depth and humanity of their performances. And then I looked around, and all these other strangers, 800 to 1,000 people, were also having the same emotional response. They had the same tears in their eyes. And I thought, oh, so this is connecting with them too. And now all of us who arrived in this room as strangers, sharing and understanding of the same human experience.

And I thought, this is magic. What a thing to do with your life. What a conversation to have with each other. And that's why I wanted to do this job, is to connect, is to share the experience of being alive. And I always dreamed that I would get to be part of that community and be part of that feedback loop of connection. And I feel so grateful that,

feel so grateful that I am allowed to do that. Well, speaking for the 400-plus here... That make any sense? It did. It did. I mean, truly, the passion, as I go out, the humility that you bring to the work translates, and we are so appreciative. As we wrap up, I want to say, you've been on this podcast now five times. and I don't know if you know this, yes.

You get a hat. You get a hat. Yay! Congratulations. Welcome to the five-timers club of Happy Sad Confused. Wow. What a look. I mean, sexiest man alive in a horrible hat.

This is good. I can see myself strolling down Wilshire Boulevard in this. going that's Kate Mantellini's where they shot the dinasine in heat and if you go a little further you'll get to Rodeo Drive where they shot Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Richard

Gear A new career My new career is a tour guide Hey It's good to have options You don't need options Where they do the happy, sad, confused live event with Josh Horowitz

There you go No, truly Thank you to this this amazing audience for making this LA event so special. We want to do this for so long, and I can't think of a better event than to do it with you guys and to do it with the great Tom Hiddleston and give it up for the amazing Tom Hiddleston. Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. A pleasure to see you. Thank you for being here tonight and coming to listening to my ramblings.

Thank you. used. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressure to do this by Josh. Okay, it's official. We are very much in the final sprint to election day. And face it, between debates, polling releases, even court appearances. It can feel exhausting, even impossible. possible to keep up with. I'm Brad Milkey. I'm the host of Start Here, the daily podcast from ABC News, and every morning my team and I get you caught up on the day's news in a quick, straightforward way that's easy to understand, with just enough context so you can listen, get it, and go on with your day.

So, kickstart your morning. Start Smart with Start Here and ABC News, because staying informed shouldn't feel overwhelming. Hey, Michael. Okay, so you want to tell him or you want me to tell him? No, no, no, I got this. People out there, people, lean in, get close, get close. Listen, here's the deal. We have big news. We got monumental news.

We got snack-tacular news. After a brief hiatus, my good friend, Michael Ian Black, and I are coming back. My good friend, Tom Kavanaugh and I are coming back to do what we do best. What we were put on this earth to do. To pick a snack. To eat a snack. And to rate a snack. Nentifically.

Emotionally? Spiritually. Mates is back. Mike and Tom eat snacks. Is back. A podcast for anyone with a mouth. With a mouth. Available wherever you get your podcasts.