These lesser-known films just might make you see Hiddleston in a new light.
10. "Midnight in Paris" (2011)
In Woody Allen's nostalgic masterpiece, "Midnight in Paris," our main guy, Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), is a screenwriter and aspiring novelist on a trip to Paris with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams), where he mysteriously finds himself transported to the 1920s every midnight.
Hiddleston shines as F. Scott Fitzgerald, oozing charm and wit, with the ever-elegant Alison Pill as Zelda Fitzgerald by his side.
9. "War Horse" (2011)
Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" is a story of loyalty, hope, and perseverance set during World War I. Hiddleston steps into the boots of Captain Nicholls, a British cavalry officer who promises young Albert (Jeremy Irvine) to take care of his beloved horse, Joey, as they're thrust into war.
The film follows Joey's journey through the war, changing hands between British and German soldiers, and even a French farmer's granddaughter.
8. "Crimson Peak" (2015)
Hiddleston steps into the gothic romance genre as Thomas Sharpe, a seductive yet mysterious baronet. He sweeps Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) off her feet and brings her to his less-than-welcoming ancestral home, Allerdale Hall.
The mansion itself is practically alive, with secrets oozing out of its walls like the red clay it's sinking into. Thomas's sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), makes the home even more unwelcoming.
7. "I Saw the Light" (2015)
Hiddleston transforms into country music legend Hank Williams in "I Saw the Light." The film chronicles Williams' rise to fame and his turbulent life, which was as heartfelt as his music was haunting. Hiddleston does his own singing, capturing the soul of the singer with a performance that's both powerful and poignant.
The plot swirls around Hank's complicated relationships, especially with his first wife, Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen), and his struggle with alcoholism, fame, and health issues that ultimately led to his tragic, early death.
6. "High-Rise" (2015)
"High-Rise" places Hiddleston in a social experiment gone awry. He plays Dr. Robert Laing, the newest resident of a high-tech skyscraper that's a self-contained society. The building's architect, Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons), has created a stratified world where the rich live in luxury above and the poor get the short end of the stick below.
Hiddleston's Laing is a man who initially seeks solitude but finds himself drawn into the complex social dynamics as the high-rise descends into anarchic decadence.
5. "Exhibition" (2013)
"Exhibition" is an intimate portrayal of an artist couple's life, with Hiddleston playing a supporting role as an estate agent. The central figures, D (Viviane Albertine) and H (Liam Gillick), grapple with the emotional strains of living and working together.
The story unfolds in their modernist London home, which they plan to sell, marking the end of a significant chapter in their lives.
4. "Only Lovers Left Alive" (2013)
In "Only Lovers Left Alive," Hiddleston swaps his human persona for that of a centuries-old vampire. As Adam, a brooding musician disillusioned with the state of the modern world, he reunites with his eternal and more optimistic lover, Eve (Tilda Swinton).
Their love story travels through the nocturnal streets of Detroit and Tangier, breathing in the beauty of a world that feels like it's slipping away.
3. "The Deep Blue Sea" (2011)
Submerging into the depths of post-war passion, "The Deep Blue Sea" presents Hiddleston as Freddie Page, a former RAF pilot who embarks on a fervent affair with Hester Collyer (Rachel Weisz), the wife of a High Court judge.
Set against the backdrop of 1950s Britain, the plot delves into Hester's tumultuous search for meaning beyond the confines of her stifling marriage. Hiddleston's Freddie is a man caught between the intensity of love and the grip of trauma from war.
2. "Archipelago" (2010)
"Archipelago" offers a slice of life's quiet disquiet. Hiddleston is Edward, who is on a family holiday in the Isles of Scilly, marking a farewell before his trip to Africa for volunteer work. Edward's character, trapped in the push and pull of familial expectations and personal ambition, is a quiet force, striving for a sense of identity.
1. "Unrelated" (2007)
"Unrelated" is the film that introduced many to Hiddleston's talents. He plays Oakley, a magnetic and rebellious member of a group of upper-class holidaymakers in Tuscany. The plot centers on Anna (Kathryn Worth), a woman escaping her life's problems, who finds herself more drawn to the company of the carefree younger crowd than the adults.
Hiddleston's Oakley is both catalyst and confidant, embodying the carelessness of youth that Anna finds so intoxicating.