As soon as he heard the words Den of Geek, he beamed and joked, Im armed.
I have so many filters.
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Its so weird.
Ive lost track of it myself.
I went to drama school, and I left in 2005.
And I made Joanna Hoggs first film,Unrelated it was my first job.
Then I went into the theatre for about four years.
I did lots of Shakespeare and some Chekhov.
And Kenneth Branagh came to seeOthelloat the Donmar Warehouse, and then I didIvanovwith Ken.
AndUnrelatedopened at the same time asIvanov.
Lots of people were coming to see Ken in the show.
Ive just been extraordinarily lucky.
So I went off to doArchipelago, but at the same time Id already been cast inThor.
A film likeThorcosts $150 million, and studios are careful about who they pick.
And Ill always, always, forever be in my debt to him for that.
It was a massive, massive break he gave me.
And then it rolled from there.
I met Woody and Steven and Terence, and here I am sitting in front of you.
And in the process youve worked with directors who actors go their whole careers wanting to work with.
And I guess Steven Spielberg is near the top of anyones list.
Right at the top, I think.
I grew up watchingE.T., Indiana Jones, Jaws…
I was completely gripped.
And my dreams to be an actor were formed in no small part by Spielberg.
Your taste broadens and disseminates.
But still, he was at the top of the list.
I believe the phase is living the dream.
Did working with Spielberg on the set live up to the dream?
Do you know, it exceeded it, because I wasnt prepared for his humility.
The thing is, all this sounds so pat, that Steven Spielbergs a really great guy.
He makes you feel like youre such an important part of the creative process.
Youre never part of some Spielberg factory its an artform for him.
And then, of course, on set, hes an absolute master.
And his ability to tell a story visually, thats his gift.
Its just in him.
Its a very unique ability he has.
That must be what keeps his filmmaking fresh, even though hes moving into his later years.
AndWar Horseis very much like that.
But not only that, youre also doing that under a different director than inThor.
What was that experience like?
It was really interesting, because its very collegiate at Marvel.
Kevin Feige, whos the brilliant president of the studio, hes the head of the whole thing.
And each character has been taken possession of by different directors.
And Joss really loved what Ken had done, and what wed all done together.
And that was just a real privilege.
Its like meeting an old friend after years of not having seen them.
But also, having the confidence that Id already spent six months inhabiting him.
Id already built the house, I just had to move back in, and redecorate.
And the thrill of changing him…
I remember saying, Lets make his hair longer.
Heres a fun, odd question… about Classics, as you read Classics at university.
The Classical world both historically and mythologically is full of great stories and great characters.
Do you harbour any secret ambitions to play a particular character from that canon?
Oh my god, thats a great question, man!
Id need about three hours to go back and look at my notes.
And the journey, just the journey of it!
Or King Aeolus, who had all of the adverse winds in his command.
He loved Odysseus, he thought he was a good guy.
He said, Im going to help you get home.
Dont tell your men, and dont open it, and dont sleep.
The moral of the story is, be careful at the finish line.
It aint over, til its over.
This is one of the great metaphors.
I could just go on with that story, I think its amazing.
And they had this competition, it was a bit like theX Factor.
All these playwrights came together and competed for who had the best play.
And they were dedicated to Dionysus, and Dionysus was…
I guess he was the god of performing.
Without him, thered be no actors.
Mr Hiddleston, thank you very much!
War Horse is out now.
