by British actor Tom Hiddleston has come a long way in his career since graduating from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2005.
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While he had some small roles in films and television shows in the late 2000s, it was his starring role in the 2007 BBC miniseries “Unrelated” that really put Hiddleston on the map and launched him into the mainstream.
“Unrelated” told the story of four people – Jo, Robert, Anna and Ben – who are unrelated but find their lives intersecting in intriguing ways. Hiddleston took on the role of Robert, a young man in his late twenties who is struggling with his career and relationships. The miniseries, which aired over three nights on BBC Two, followed the characters and their interconnected stories over the course of a year.
At the time, the 31-year-old Hiddleston was still relatively unknown, having appeared in only a handful of British television shows and films. “Unrelated” marked his first major starring role in a high-profile television production. His nuanced and emotionally layered performance as Robert drew high praise from critics and really showcased his talents as a dramatic actor.
Reviewing “Unrelated” for The Guardian, critic Sam Wollaston wrote that Hiddleston “is terrific as the slightly lost Robert, vulnerable yet prickly. He brings real depth and soul to the part.” Other reviewers also singled out Hiddleston’s “magnetic” and “heartfelt” lead performance. The miniseries itself was also well received, with The Telegraph calling it “superbly written” and “gripping from start to finish.”
The acclaim for both “Unrelated” and Hiddleston’s standout work in the production helped raise his profile significantly among British audiences and industry professionals. It marked a real breakthrough that established the actor as someone to watch. In the years since, Hiddleston has reflected on the impact the role had on his career.
“Robert in ‘Unrelated’ was such a complex, multi-faceted character and it was a real privilege to inhabit him over the course of the series,” Hiddleston told The Independent in a 2011 interview. “The reaction to both the show and my performance really opened doors for me and created new opportunities. It was hugely important for being seen in a leading dramatic role on British television.”
Indeed, in the few years following the success of “Unrelated,” Hiddleston landed several more prominent roles that helped elevate his status as a serious actor in British film and television. In 2008, he had supporting roles in the historical drama “The Red Riding Trilogy” and the romantic comedy “Joanna Hogg’s Archipelago.” The following year, he played Prince Hal in the television movie “The Hollow Crown,” which adapted Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” plays.
These roles showed Hiddleston’s range across drama, comedy and period pieces. But it was his electrifying performance as Loki in 2011’s “Thor” that truly launched him to international fame and established him as a major star. Of course, it’s impossible to say definitively whether Hiddleston would have been cast in that Marvel blockbuster without his prior success in projects like “Unrelated.” But there’s no question that the miniseries raised his profile in Hollywood.
“The roles kept getting bigger after ‘Unrelated,’ and I like to think each new job helped me grow as an actor and prepared me for what was to come,” Hiddleston reflected in a 2012 interview. “Loki was such an incredible opportunity, but I don’t know that I would have been considered for a role of that scale had I not had the experience of projects like ‘Unrelated’ under my belt already.”
In the decade since, Hiddleston has cemented his status as one of the most famous and accomplished British actors working today through major roles in huge franchises like Marvel and Kong: Skull Island, as well as acclaimed independent films. He’s also shown his skills outside of acting, with producing and directing credits to his name. But it all started with a breakthrough television role in “Unrelated” that really allowed the world to see Hiddleston’s immense talents for the first time.
The Long-Term Impact
While “Unrelated” launched Hiddleston’s career over 15 years ago, its impact is still being felt today. The miniseries remains an important credit on his resume, one that he often cites as a pivotal early work. It established him as a serious dramatic actor capable of anchoring a complex character-driven story over multiple episodes.
That experience no doubt contributed to Hiddleston landing bigger roles in prestigious television productions as his career progressed. In 2017, he starred as country singer Hank Williams in the biopic “Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues” for the PBS American Masters series. More recently in 2020, he took on the lead role in the limited series “The Essex Serpent” for Apple TV+, based on the bestselling novel.
Both those projects demonstrated Hiddleston’s continuing appeal in meaty starring roles on television, built on the foundation laid by “Unrelated.” As one producer who has worked with Hiddleston told The Hollywood Reporter, “That early miniseries really showed he had the gravitas and commitment to carry a complex character over many hours of television. Producers remembered that when considering him for bigger roles down the line.”
On the film side, “Unrelated” proved Hiddleston could hold his own as the lead actor carrying emotional arcs and intertwining storylines – experience that served him well when taking on major franchises. His nuanced work establishing the character of Loki across several Marvel movies was built on skills developed early in projects like the BBC miniseries.
Even now, over 15 years later, “Unrelated” remains an important credit that Hollywood still sees as formative for Hiddleston. When he was announced to be starring in the Disney+ series “Loki” in 2018, numerous articles referenced how the miniseries paved the way for such a high-profile television leading man role. Its influence is still being felt in his career today.
For Hiddleston himself, “Unrelated” also holds personal significance as the work that first introduced him to wider audiences and demonstrated his potential as a serious actor. In recent interviews, he still speaks fondly of the project and what it meant for launching his career into the mainstream. It clearly had an enormous impact that shaped his entire professional path in the decades since. While other roles contributed greatly to his success, “Unrelated” truly kicked things off and marked the start of Hiddleston’s rise in the industry.
Over the years, the BBC have repeated “Unrelated” for new audiences, capitalizing on Hiddleston’s subsequent fame. Viewers discovering the miniseries for the first time can easily see the roots of the talented actor he would become in that breakthrough starring role. While his status has grown exponentially since, “Unrelated” will always hold an important place as the project that first introduced the world to Tom Hiddleston’s immense talents and charisma – launching an illustrious career that is still going strong today.
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