by Tom Hiddleston has always had a complex relationship with fame and the internet. As an actor who values his privacy, he has struggled to find the right balance between maintaining an online presence for his career while also protecting his personal life. In a revealing new interview with GQ magazine, Hiddleston has opened up about his cautious approach to social media and the internet, admitting that he still finds it all a bit “overwhelming.”
For Hiddleston, who shot to global fame through his role as the mischievous Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the sudden scale of attention was a shock to the system. “It was very confusing. All of it was very disconcerting,” he told GQ. “It was like being struck by lightning and not really understanding how to gather your bearings in the aftermath of the strike.”
This lightning strike of fame led to Hiddleston joining Twitter in 2013 at the urging of his Marvel co-stars. As someone who prefers books, letters and long form conversations, he found the immediacy and brevity of Twitter a struggle. “I found it an uncomfortable medium for self-expression,” he admitted.
Despite amassing over 2.5 million followers, Hiddleston’s relationship with Twitter remains rocky. “I haven’t posted anything on Twitter for about two years now,” he revealed. “I’m cautious about it. I think it’s an incredible tool, but it’s also a very powerful tool and it can be used for good or bad.”
Hiddleston says he remains baffled by the concept of going viral online. “I still don’t really understand what viral means. Something about a video that has a lot of views very quickly, but I don’t understand why or how,” he said. His own experience of viral fame came from his 2015 Golden Globes acceptance speech where he apologized to his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift. Video clips were quickly watched over 50 million times.
While he is undoubtedly famous, Hiddleston refuses to see himself as a celebrity or influencer. “I was never trying to be famous. I just wanted to be an actor,” he said. This perspective shapes his wary stance towards social media today. “I’m not interested in trying to cultivate a social media persona. I’m too old for that,” he laughed.
At heart, Hiddleston remains an actor’s actor, drawn to complex characters rather than likes and followers. “I’m not interested in trying to curate some version of myself for public consumption,” he said. Yet he recognizes the power of social media for raising awareness around social justice issues. “It’s an incredible tool for communication and education,” he noted.
Indeed, Hiddleston sees promoting compassion as the best use of his platform today. “I want to use my platform to do good. I want to use it to raise awareness of important issues and to connect with people in a meaningful way,” he said.
He admits he is still learning how to do this skillfully online. “I’m trying to navigate and learn how to use social media to spread awareness of issues that need attention.” Most recently, he has used Instagram to support UNICEF’s emergency appeal for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
Ultimately, Hiddleston believes the most meaningful connections happen away from the internet. “I place great value on conversations that are more than 140 characters. I like letters, emails and sitting down with people and really talking,” he said.
This depth of conversation is hard to cultivate online, where vitriol and hate often spread faster than compassion. “There’s a lot of very nasty, unpleasant rhetoric online. Anonymity seems to breed cruelty,” Hiddleston lamented. He advises a cautious, considered approach to avoid getting swept up in the darker currents of online culture.
“It’s so important to be mindful of how you use the internet and social media. It’s not all bad, but there is a shadow side which can be dangerous if you’re not careful.” He recommends taking regular digital detoxes. “It can overwhelm your mental space, so I think it’s healthy to take some time away from it.”
Ultimately, Hiddleston hopes the internet can evolve past shallow self-promotion towards its potential for expanding empathy between people. “I hope we can find a way back to more compassion in how we communicate with each other online,” he said thoughtfully.
As an actor, Hiddleston takes inspiration from his characters to navigate the modern world. His time playing the brooding vampire Dr Henry Jekyll taught him the importance of maintaining moral integrity in the face of fame. “Jekyll said he had a duty to spread compassion. I feel the same,” he reflected.
Similarly, Hiddleston’s performance as the emotionally reserved spy Jonathan Pine in The Night Manager shaped his belief in the power of human connection. “Pine was someone who was afraid of being vulnerable because he felt too much. I understand that tendency to withdraw,” he admitted.
Indeed vulnerability remains Hiddleston’s great challenge, especially amidst the glare of the online world. “It requires courage to open your heart on the internet, but I think that’s what people respond to,” he mused. “That sincerity and intimacy.”
Striking that delicate balance between openness and self-protection may be the defining struggle of the digital age. For sensitive souls like Hiddleston, the pressures of constant connectivity can feel exhausting. He emphasizes the importance of privacy, downtime and real world community as an antidote.
“It comes down to balance. You have to find equilibrium between the online world and nurturing your inner self,” he reflected. Though he admits he is still learning how to attain this equilibrium as an actor and a human being in 2022, Hiddleston approaches the challenge with grace.
Rather than being bitter about the pitfalls of fame in the digital age, he focuses on using his platform to spread more light in the world. Because for visionary artists like Hiddleston, there is always potential for redemption, even on the wild waves of the internet.
