Tom Hiddleston Explains How 'Die Hard' Actor Helped Inspire Loki Performance

Tom Hiddleston's Loki has become one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing as the antagonist in 2011's Thor and eventually working his way up to reluctant antihero as the star of the Disney+ series Loki, which ran for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. And over the weekend, the 43-year-old actor revealed some unlikely inspiration for the character.

During a Loki cast panel for PaleyFest 2024 on Saturday, Hiddleston said he prepared for the character by studying Alan Rickman's iconic portrayal of Hans Gruber in the 1988 Bruce Willis action flick Die Hard. Likewise, he said he took notes from English actor James Mason's performance of villainous Cold War spy Phillip Vandamm in Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1959 thriller, North by Northwest.

“Those are all characters that are about control and revenge,” Hiddleston explained, via People. I might just love those performances as a child. I just was so drawn to those performances as they seemed to be having such a wonderful time playing these antagonists, I suppose. And that was part of the charm. They were so charismatic, even though they weren't at the center of those films."

Interestingly enough, this isn't the first time Hiddleston has talked about his love of Die Hard. In a March 2016 Digital Spy interview, the actor was asked about potentially playing Hans Gruber in a remake, but said that the holiday film is "untouchable."

"I truly think that's one of those things you don't go near. here's a greatness in his performance and I think it would be hubristic to think that anyone could do it better than that." Comparing Die Hard to Citizen Kane, Hiddleston added: "I also think that nobody can fill the boots of Bruce Willis in that film. People would try."

In any case, it seems as though Hiddleston has found his own way to pay tribute to the character without attempting to reinvent the wheel.