More men should agree to do photoshoots with cats. Tom Hiddleston should definitely try it more often, even though he’s probably in danger of breaking the internet. Tumblr meltdown + cats = Armageddon. The whole point of Tom doing a photoshoot with a cat (named Bentley) is that Shortlist Magazine is calling him a “cool cat.” Is he though? Since it’s been so long since we’ve been knee-deep in a full blown Hiddles promotional tour, I kind of forgot that A) he comes across like an overeager puppy sometimes and B) his interviews are not great reads. It’s not that he’s morose or humorless, he’s just earnest, verging on too serious to be “cool.” The comparison always comes up: where Benedict Cumberbatch would be pithy, funny and quotable with an answer to any given question, Tom will verbally consider the question from every angle like he’s preparing a doctoral thesis in response. Anyway, you can read the full Shortlist piece here. Some highlights:
Loki changed his life: “It’s so interesting now. I haven’t actually played the character for three years. Marvel is clearly on a roll, and so my association with the company and with the universe of its films is always there. Loki did change my life. I was predominantly an actor in the British theatre. I’d worked with Kenneth Brannagh in television and the West End, then he cast me as Loki and within a year I was a part of this phenomenon.”
The future of Loki: “When you meet children and they have that really authentic response, that’s really cool. They are so generally enthusiastic and you realise they love these characters unashamedly. The enthusiasm is so genuine and so infectious. I am continuously amazed at how people like Loki. Yeah, he’s got mischief – he’s a bit bad. I don’t know where it goes from here. It feels like Marvel is expanding at such a rate, with so many new characters and so many new films, so I don’t know what my place is in all of that.”
Why he’s not crazy gossip-fodder: “I just try to keep my head down, and the work for me is the far more interesting thing. That’s why I’m in it. Acting for me is about curiosity and imagination, and I get a real kick out of scratching around doing my research and building characters.”
The Real Hiddles: “I try to be myself [in interviews]. Pretending to be someone else, you’re just setting yourself up for a fall. Or it can just be confusing. So, honestly, there are things that you want to keep private, but I can simply say I try to be myself.”
How he deals with criticism in real life & online: “I can’t control what anyone’s opinion is of me as a human being, good or bad. I can only be myself in every context. I’d like to think, if anyone did have any ill feelings towards me, that if I meet them I’d say, ‘Hey man, did I do anything to offend you?’ It would be unhealthy to worry about that. I guess we’re all in the age of increased transparency. We’re all vulnerable to criticism and people are perfectly entitled to exercise their right to criticise anything. Personally, I’m so aware things are more complicated than they seem – before I judge, I think, ‘Do I know the whole picture?’ I’m not pretending I don’t have bad days, but making those public? Feelings are transient, but if you make them public, post them, it’s forever. You can’t eradicate the record of what happened yesterday. There’s more than enough negativity in the world and I don’t feel like I need to contribute to that. I should add that I believe in accountability. If you’ve got something to say, then you should say that in person to somebody, as opposed to hiding behind anonymity, just throwing it over the wall like a paper aeroplane.”
Whether he’s encountered bitterness: “I don’t think I gave you a proper answer, when you asked if I’d encountered any bitterness. I’m sure there’s negative energy out there, but the last thing I want to be is divisive. I’m an actor because I believe in the power of cinema to bring people together. I get disheartened when things are interpreted along divisive lines. That’s not the business I’m in. I’m not saying I’m some kind of unifying force – I just like being a part of it. That might just be the most sincere thing I’ve said today.”
I think he’s coming close to answering why he hasn’t been as active on social media as he once was. He really started to tighten up his social media game last year. Is it because he didn’t want to participate in the wave of negativity? The thing is, Tom has crazy-obsessed fans online, and while they are crazy, he really doesn’t get a ton of negative stuff coming his way. Like, the worst thing I can say about him is that he seems too eager and earnest. That’s it. It’s practically a compliment!
Photos courtesy of Shortlist.
Aargh!! My brain just exploded with all the sexy cuteness. I need to lie down on the veranda.
Right there with you. I don’t even care he stole this bit from Tom Hardy. There’s plenty of room for hot Brits with adorable pets in my secret fantasy life.
I wished he had smiled in this photo shoot. It would have made the whole thing a lot cuter. He just looks too serious. Who can be so serious around a cat, anyway?
MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! They make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
And Tom does, but in a nice way!! 😉
Well, it might have dug a claw into him. That makes smiling a tad difficult.
I must say hard to resist, this particular set! But what on earth is going on with the daily Toddles bulletins?! Has Cumbers finally handed over the post?! Should not Toddles heed the “overexposed” warnings?
Apologies if it’s flagged somewhere else in this thread Or in others…
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/08/tom-hiddleston-interview-crimson-peak
I never thought i would say this, but i’m getting sick of him.
Bit like buses, you wait for ages then 6 come along at once?
LOL
I think end of this month he’ll disappear into a jungle for months on end, so the raining will stop soon.
After an 18 month drought, the flood is welcomed by some of us. He’ll be off to film Skull Island later this month, so we’ll be getting less of him soon.
I wouldn’t say sick, but my productivity is definitely suffering. Crimson Peak will have a huge push in the US next week so I’m aiming to survive that. By my count, Tom has 3 television appearances – Daily Show, Late Show and Today Show (but I expect that last one to be a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-moment), and the red carpet premiere is in NYC on the 14th.
He’s definitely given us enough material to keep us going through the next drought. Aside from briefly surfacing to do some modest promo stuff for ISTL, I don’t think we’ll see much more until The Night Manager kicks off.
I agree. I suspect there will be a few more print articles surfacing over the next few weeks (we know of at least one modeling photoshoot we haven’t seen surface yet) but he’s heading for that jungle in a week and a half and won’t be popping up much after that.
I’m with you here. It’s like last year’s BC: everywhere.
An entire full-length feature with Bentley, please.
And then set him up with Choupette!
Choupette and Bentley 4eva. But would the anger bear approve?
Bentley rocks.
I’m all about Bentley, hell I just skimped through the story to look at the feline pics and admire that cat’s poses!
I’ve gone all sniffy. Bentley looks like Old Cat, complete with tabby “M” on his bonce. RIP Old Cat.
Ohh, RIP Old Cat. It takes a long time to not go all sniffy, doesn’t it?
Sixers, you had a cat that looked like Hiddles? Cuz Bentley’s a dead ringer for the guy.
It’ll take me forever not to go all sniffy. I loved Old Cat.
Sacre bleu, Bettyrose! Hiddles has better LEGS!
@ Sixer:
One of my sister’s cats (named Panda) has been at the clinic since yesterday morning. The vet even watched him overnight because she thought he wouldn’t make it through the night (respiratory problems and a heart condition that has yet to be diagnosed).
He was abandoned, along with his sister (Maguinha — means “skinny” in Portuguese), as kittens because some a**hole knew I was taking care and feeding some strays, so they dumped MORE strays. They left the kittens to either be rescued or die from dehydration/starvation). Most die. Some are lucky enough to meet this (me) sucker here. But I can’t save them all.
The dogs and the cats here: all rescued under horrible conditions.
P.S.: Ray, one the dogs, was left for dead in a trash bin. Cats are often thrown away like that.
Oh, Eve. That used to happen to my grandmother, who was known for taking in strays. People are AWFUL.
Flowers for Old Cat. Tabbies are among the best of cats. I’ve been a little misty about my gone grey girl, the Grey Menace. She could give u what for and have you like it. Lovely animae.
Yep. I’m just here for the kitty.
I’m just checking in to make sure Kitten saw this.
Not even Elle magazine can get Tom liquored up and giving up any juicy tidbits. I don’t mind the dissertation length answers, as long as we’re getting a solid long form interview. I’m sick of the red carpet and junket bits.
And you can’t deny those are some delicious pictures accompanying that article. Sweet baby Moses, hold me back.
I’m with Kitten. I came for Bentley . Now that cat knows how to pose.
I have always been bored by pithy comments which I tend to find facile and uninformative -give me interviews with some solid information,discussion about your role and genuine humour so completely happy with Tom as he is despite the lead in comments on here
And love the cat
The cat and Tom H have the exact same expression on their faces in that first photo, and I am finding it highly amusing.
Oh, and I would be totally down with letting him dangle some meat in front of me like that. Just sayin’.
This. And you know what? I didn’t even really like him prior to this. Now that I see him with a cat I’m okay with him. Was that so hard, Tom?
Oh ffs… Stop being so perfect! It’s irritating. In the best way of course.
But seriously, good interview. His answers were on point and for him they were pretty succinct. He is kind of brazenly optimistic.
yep, great interview and the pics are everything.
I’m brazenly optimistic myself and some people find that quite irritating. One of my colleagues recently said: “…I need an antidepressant, and YOU need a depressant.” 🙂
That’s actually nicer than people asking if they can shoot you with an elephant tranquiliser… (I definitely have the puppy enthusiasm, so have heard that more than once !)
@ponytail: hello fellow enthusiast. 🙂 That elephant tranquiliser suggestion is really rude. I hope you don’t let it drag you down.
I regularly apologize for being in a good mood (at work) because colleagues are giving me a side-eye. It’s interesting because my friends and family totally appreciate my upbeat attitude and enthusiasm.
I guess I managed to keep my inner child alive and I find it quite sad that I rarely meet people who have, too.
Giving me upbeat and enthusiastic over the opposite any day. Don’t ever change, ladies.
private school confidence!
His optimism makes the cynics so annoyed haha!
He does at that! But even I can respect the positivity; it’s not entirely blind.
Banish all images of Smarmy Otter!
Tom is preparing us all a breakfast of french toast and bacon and omelets because Colin has taken the day off.
He was on the Nick Grimssomebody show on BBC1 this morning. His bit starts at 1:40 so you don’t have to listen to endless reports of the weather and discussions of Justin Bieber’s bits or the results of The Great British Bake-Off.
We’re preparing for tomorrow’s High-Rise thing at LFF and television next week, including the Today Show, The Daily Show, and Colbert.
Any man who poses happily with a cat is ok with me.
Would have prefurred (see that i did there…) some more joking ones though
I see what you did there.
Have you seen the tumblr Morrissey with Kittens? It’s brilliant.
Cats make anyone instantly more attractive.
Yes, in which we learn that Russell Brand named a cat after Morrissey. Here’s the link. http://morrisseywithcats.tumblr.com/
As for making anyone instantly attractive: Rob Gronkowski with kittens. I enjoy Gronk’s power as an athlete but I think he’s an idiot and his looks do nothing for me but Gronk with a kitten? Melted. http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20141110/rs_634x846-141210102029-634-Cover_Gronk-Rob-Gronkowski-kitten.jpg
Also, Charlie Hunnam has a cat.
Holy crap 0_o
I’m feeling things I haven’t felt before at that ginger kitten + giant hunk of man picture.
*unf*
@Lilacflowers
I completely agree with you on Rob Gronkowski and I am allergic to cats, but that image makes me want to cuddle with him. A LOT.
Still can’t root for the Patriots, so the best I can offer is my favorite Cowboy, Jason Witten, with his wee baby.
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/i4NpIT2WITR0nGBkeE0ydw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAwO2lsPXBsYW5l/http://magazines.zenfs.com/resizer/2.0/FIT_TO_WIDTH-w2352/0cac837dd52792f7818031b6d062ee4d69a5a8d4.jpg
@Amelia, you’ll want to borrow the ball gag. As I said, Gronk’s an idiot but that body and the ways he can move it are amazing. And little ginger kitten!
@Abby_J, cute baby.
Whatever Hiddleston, that’s a beautiful cat.
More cat, less human please.
LOL, I’m w/ you.
Awwww, I have a kitty named Bentley who looks a lot like this little guy. Now if only I had a Tom lookalike to match…
And more celebrities (*cough* Matt Damon) would do well to step back and ask, “do I know the whole picture?” Tom is as privileged as it gets, but he doesn’t pretend he isn’t, and he doesn’t try to speak for others. I actually really enjoyed this interview.
he’s on the verge of overexposure but this shoot with the kittycat is bleepin adorable. damn it!
Yes – he’s bordering on the Cumberbatch annoying over exposure but i think we’ll forgive him as he’s so earnest, sweet and likable.
Cumberbatch’s overexposure lasted a hell of lot longer than Tom’s will, ladies. We’ve only been getting near daily posts for about a month. I recall Bendy’s lasted a good 6-9 months. *shudder*
yea it’s only been a month and that’s for all of his 3 films. He’ll disappear for a very long while soon after. It feels like overexposure when you have to promote 3 movies in a month on speed no less.
Can I just say that no, the comparison does not always come up? Maybe for some but not everyone. When thinking of Tom Hiddleston, I NEVER think of Benedict Cumberbatch. NEVER. They aren’t interchangeable and some of us do not find Cumberbatch funny. It is a matter of taste.
I agree – Cumberbatch often comes across as pissy and snotty, he tries too hard to be the ‘intelligent’ actor.
There’s also no reason to compare them. There are numerous talented actors of similar background within the same age range (Fassbender, Hardy, MacAvoy, Redmayne, Whishaw, Murphy, Lloyd, Goode) but they aren’t constantly compared to one or the other.
They are not all the same. Mcavoy and fassy for instance dont have the same as those two.
Hiddleston and cumberbatch are compared because they are upper class guys with a similarly posh upbringing.
But Redmayne, Hardy, Lloyd, and Goode are also posh and they aren’t constantly pulled in for comparisons and I, for one, would much prefer them over BC. Add Jack Huston too.
Because it’s funny watching the children scramble?
@katy – it’s getting kinda creepy, it’s always the same people. maybe the dude burned down their house or something lol
Absolutely! Otter face is the last thing I think when I see beautiful Tom. Me thinks someone is projecting a bit much their tastes onto others 😓. Let us enjoy Hiddles and the cute cat in peace please 🙏🏻
Yea I get the impression people want him to be the “cool” guy, which, let’s be real, not even Benefiber is cool. They’re both dorky, but one has permanent foot in mouth syndrome and the other is too earnest it irks the cynics crowd.
They don’t even take similar roles.
Quite different. And Tom can manage a passable American accent
Well Ben does all the time 🙂
@neutral, burn! 😛
@ jammypants – but true? 🙂
in who’s opinion -you hear what you want to hear-Tom is be very precise in his accents and they seem to flow more easily-some actor and actresses when they do accents tend to sound forced-Meryl Streep is one who stands out for me
Yea I don’t compare them constantly. In fact I don’t find them alike at all (thank goodness for that).
i agree they are certainly not interchangeable-this is the only sight it seems to happen on regularly but this is the only sight i go on that focuses on a multitude of actors/actresses.I think they just came to focus in the USA around the same and have a posh tag.
I never got that either, even if you like both of them. They are so different.
Still want Loki and Doctor Strange in a movie together. I admit it is only so that I can watch the internet explode.
There’s also another actor Tom, who has faultless work ethic, is endlessly positive, can be a bit EXTRA and has a grin/smile that sometimes scares me…namely Cruise. You’re in good company, Hiddlez.
(Ok, I’m just being mean, in reality I like me some Cheddar nugget Tommy every now & then)
If you put Hiddles and a cat in a shoot together that’s all I could ask for. Thank you, whoever did think of that.
As Miss Jupitero said yesterday: “They are trying to kill us.”
I want to see Tom with a dog or dogs. I think I have seen some photos, but need more.
There is a dog in Crimson Peak.
There’s a dog in High Rise too.
I’m not a cat person, tho’ I’ll admit that Bentley is a cutie. I want to see Tom with a dog. Like Hardy. I want a spread of Toms and dogs together. That would be brilliant.
Such a pity I’m not a cat person.
Heading swiftly toward overexposure, but yes, throw in Bentley and I am there. This is all about the cat. If there were no Bentley, I would barely notice this interview.
Is he giving that cat a slice of prosciutti? (Or is it a rasher?) Bad, Tom, bad. Kitties and and pork products do not mix!
I like the article very much. He answered what he have thought (especially re: negativity and online communication) in earnest, simple ways and that’s enough. While I make a joke about his verbosity, I find his writing and speaking much more bearable compared with many people including celebrities. It’s a matter of taste indeed.
I only expect Hiddles to look good, perform wonderfully in film and on stage, and do his UNICEF and BFI works decently. That’s his job and what he loves. And it seems to me that these days he is not particularly interested in expressing himself through his interviews or SNSs. In most cases he just answers the questions because interviewers ask them.
Actually if they had him sitting down with a white cat in his lap I would think he was being set up to be a Bond villain.
“Do you expect me to beg?” ” No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!” Evil cackle, while stroking said white cat.
Tee hee
And don’t worry about the over exposure folks. We’ve seen nothing of him practically for 18 months and he will soon be disappearing off the the jungle so off our laptops again.
Actually, being serious, I think he rolled back from social media not so much due to negativity but the opposite. I think he realised he’d gone too far trolling and manipulating sometimes vulnerable young fans. I, for one, still have the #openingbirthdaypresentsslowly episode on Twitter burned into my brain. It’s one of the reasons I maintain a partial dislike of him. I can be an unforgiving old bag.
I hope that is the reason. It would make me like him more.
I feel the same way. Those were the days of active and cloying pandering. It still sticks in the back of my mind. He is still very image conscious, and after awhile that feels manipulative.
Given the way the press twist everything I think I would be careful too if I were him.
And if I were in his position, I might very well make the decision to keep myself in PR lockdown. I get it. But in the beginning he was actively pitching for a certain image and heavily pandering to fans, journalists, and anyone else who would listen. I don;t believe this was truly necessary. It was a choice borne out of intense thirst.
A long while back, some celebrity tweeted that being Tom Hiddleston is a full time job. At a certain point, I think he did make a full time job. Not everyone does that.
That celebrity was Laurence Fox, of the acting dynasty who didn’t think that he (Fox) should have to do auditions for roles and that his work (what apart from Lewis) should speak for itself.
@neutral – who? Oh right, Mr. Billie Piper. Look how well that strategy has worked out for him…
This is a great article from the Guardian which provides greater understanding of how Tom functions with out unnecessary criticisms-
But it is easy to criticise with hindsight. But I am glad he has rolled things like twitter back. One of the reasons might be that he realised they wanted more than he wanted to give about himself and his private life. I think that is why until directly asked in Toronto he never comment on THEO.
I thought the same
Actually, if you look at the old posts, the Thornfield ladies were criticizing him while the fan pandering was happening in 2012-2013. They called it while it was occurring. I remember someone expressing concern that his cozying up to the fans on twitter could lead to him being chained in someone’s basement about to be “misery-ed” by his own Kathy Bates.
He seems to have had a conscious decision to pull back after getting burned a few times by overzealous fans.
Reading your comment, I’m thankful I only started paying attention to him after that pandering… 🙂
Oh, I criticised at the time, neutral, as the ladies here will attest. It *really* put me off Tommy-omelette while it was all going on and, despite LEGS, I’m only just beginning to warm back up to him. Even now, you won’t convince me it was naivety or eager-puppy-ness. It looked like out and out manipulation to me.
Whatever his approach now, I hope he realises that it wasn’t just a mistake, it was an ignoble thing to do.
Manipulation how? Just to get a reaction out of people? I wasn’t paying attention during that era so I’m not even sure what this is about. And I’m not on social media, but when I have to interact with it, there’s always the sense that everything is magnified, and all celeb social media is on some level fan pandering. I’m not trying to change your mind or anything I’m just curious. I also find it hard to believe people are manipulated through social media by a celeb, but stranger things have happened.
No Sixer, I didn’t mean you regarding hindsight, I meant Tom.
Ah neutral. I beg your pardon. I understand now.
InvaderTak – generally, it was just full on fan bait. Specifically, the birthday thing: he dragged out himself opening and posting photos of gifts fans had sent him and writing toe-curdling thank you messages knowing full well that he had thousands of fans glued to the page praying they would be a chosen one. It went on for the best part of an entire day and was more than undignified to me: it was deeply unpleasant and manipulative.
Truth be told: I likely make too much of it. But you know when someone does something relatively trivial but somehow you find it very, very revealing and not in a good way? And it really turns you off them (regardless of whether they’re famous or not)? It was like that for me, along with a couple of other similar instances from Tommy.
It’s just as well he has LEGS, else I’d likely still be consumed with righteous outrage!
Wow. I don’t remember that birthday thing at all. Which birthday was it?
I think the tweet referred to above is this one:
https://twitter.com/twhiddleston/status/303528730754695168
That was a bit much. Someone in his camp should have told him not interact with fans that way. It even made some of them look crazy.
I wasn’t following Tom around that time either, but I have looked back at his tweets and I thought they were mostly cute and just gave a little glimpse into his life (songs he likes, pics of him on the set, etc) and I’m sad that he’s pulled back from that.
I can understand him not wanting to necessarily interact with fans via Twitter- I’m sure he gets tweeted at constantly with lots of crazy requests and comments, but no one criticizes someone like Haley Atwell for the constant tweeting and dubsmashing- it’s cute! Perhaps he just needs to entrust someone to tweet his edited thoughts for him- and I think I’d be perfect for the job 🙂
I think people just want a reason to dislike him. Where there’s a will there’s a way. Hayley does the same thing and no one bats an eye. All that said, hate on! I’ll just continue to like him against the tide of cynicism 😛
i have followed his work since the Hollow Crown and have seen nothing “”offensive”” as i have with other stars in his behaviour but you see what you want to see-i have even found the books he used to recommend interesting and am reading one now.I also use to check out his music recommendations and have been a big fan of Freddie Stephenson ever since
I’ve followed his Twitter since he first started. I don’t really see the manipulation. I see oversharing for sure (anyone with social media overshares) and he dialed back because how invasive people got. Now it’s controlled and I think that’s smart.
yes i miss those days when he shared his music and reading-it was refreshing
@ice, I miss them too
Sixer/Miss J, I followed him on twitter round that time too and he posted regularly, sometimes daily which I agree in hindsight may have given the idea of availability to some impressionable fans. Then I remember he stopped posting for a few weeks around May 2013, that’s when he started pulling back, as if the pr strategy changed.
While I understand about keeping his private life under wraps I see a glaring contradiction between what he says in interviews with poorly thought out trips to pap-friendly restaurants (I’m sorry but no-one can convince me someone that pr-savvy didn’t know about that), it also comes across as thirst to me.
ONE trip to a pap friendly restaurant?
Wow. Harsh. He is famous you know; he’s going to get papped occasionally. And it was news worthy that he was with a lady. He hadn’t been seen on a date in what, over a year? I’m not seeing a glaring contradiction. The last pap siting of him was months before, going thru an airport wasn’t it?
Putting it in context: I actually do believe Tommy to be a reasonably nice person – I think he is genuinely a good acting colleague, a positive type, polite and all that. But I also think Tommy is all about Tommy. He will put out there whatever gets him the best return. He got what value he could from fan baiting. Once he’d done that, he stopped. His image is one of the most carefully controlled out there. I doubt we’ll see him slip up any time soon.
Invadertak, let me clarify: you don’t go to that particular restaurant unless you want to be spotted, so either he didn’t know (as he said in an interview, which I don’t believe) or it was planned so they would get papped, make sense? Don’t say you want to keep your private life private then pull stunts like that. I’m surprised some fans genuinely believe he gets papped on the level of big name actors. While we all like the guy he isn’t that high-profile enough, not yet anyway.
Neutral, if you go to Getty or Wireimage back to the end of 2012 there’s pics of Tom and bff Sian leaving CiprianI another pap-friendly restaurant, though it was only noticed by fans at the time. Then of course there’s the walking round Toronto with a professional photographer in tow. And the Wimbledon “date”.
Sixer, agreeing with everything you say here. Though I suspect he was caught out over that candid street pic, I guess he didn’t realise someone would do that or it would end up in the DM.
Honestly, if that’s the worst that can be said about it, it’s really not bad. But, isn’t his backing away from Twitter what made some people here warm up to him? Personally I miss some of his silly tweets and find his PR ones of today so boring.
@Catherine, I side-eyed those puffy coat pictures hard when they came out. Obvious pap walk was obvious. If I put on my tin-foil conspiracy hat for a moment I can believe he made a deal with that photog to leave him alone for most of his time in Toronto in exchange for that particular set of shots – but that’s just me.
Since I can count Tom’s planned papped moments on one hand (more or less), I’m going to give him a pass. It could be much worse – look at that Ian Somersault guy, it seems all he does is post to social media, go for pap walks with his soon to be wife and then complain about being followed around all the time. Then again, that guy isn’t very talented, so he needs all the help he can get.
Correction I can’t find those CiprianI pics but they’re so old it’s irrelevant anyway.
Dara, I’m glad it’s not only me who noticed and yes the number of planned or pap pics are few it’s just the last one was such a pr disaster and a misstep. Or maybe it’s just I can’t understand how some fans and are so naive that they can’t see what I find so obvious.
@Catherine: there’s no need for the attitude; I’m not naive and I’ve been on the gossip sites for long enough to know that pap walks are a thing. And it is possible it wasn’t planned as was discussed in previous threads. I have no idea, and I don’t really care. My comment about him getting papped occasionally was an acknowledgement that he plays the game too. Which is just the way the biz is and I don’t fault him for it. I was just disagreeing with your point that one pap outing with a lady friend made him at total hypocrite. I know he doesn’t get papped on the regular. But being seen with a woman once is a far cry from publicizing his private life IMO.
Invader, apologies if my comments came across as an attitude, that wasn’t the intention. I personally think that some fans are naive, I’m sorry but I do, that’s my opinion. FWIW I thought the Wimbledon date was a pr set up too.
I’ve noticed some commenters here (and elsewhere) see Tom through rose-tinted glasses and don’t see what I see as obvious pr, and that bothers me. The old twitter behaviour can be seen as manipulative, I see the image and PR being presented as that way, projecting an image that is unrealistic. Some recognise it as such, but I think some of the younger fans particularly completely believe it. As Sixer pointed out, this is an actor with what appears to be a very controlled image.
Catherine and Sixer, you know I’m with you 100% on your observations. Tom strikes me as being very aware of his image when he’s out in public and deliberate in his actions. Hence, I called PR on both London outings with Lizzy. He’s savvy enough to know how to add fuel to a rumor as well as how to add confusion (JArthy/Pulver snaps) and he’ll use either, depending on his PR strategy.
Amen Catherine! The man is nothing if not bright and PR savvy.
Playing devils advocate here…did anyone ever think that maybe EO was the one that invited him to that restaurant and her that called the paps? Her acting so distraught and throwing her hands up over her face I think was just that- an act. He basically just ignored her while calling that cab and let her go on with her dramatics.
I do think he has a very controlled image, though. Whether that’s entirely his doing or orchestrated by his creepy PR dude, I’m not sure.
Controlled or genuine, I don’t see the big deal. He’s not out in the streets kicking homeless animals.
There’s no way that Tom didn’t know he’d be papped at the Wolseley. He’s lived in London too long not to know that. I think Lizzy was aware of what was going on. While I agree that hiding her face came off as childish, I think it was done to keep the paps from getting a good shot of her and Tom next to each other with their faces in full view (which the paps got once they were in the taxi).
I don’t think this makes Tom a bad person, just deliberate in his public actions (i.e. PR conscious).
I’m not saying he didn’t know he’d get papped, just that it may not have been his idea to start with.
He has an image. Like everyone else in H’wood. His PR is controlled. Like everyone else’s. I think we’re into obsessive over analysis territory here. His PR is tight, yes but well done and has taken a turn for the better. I don’t see why I shouldn’t read my gossip though rose tinted glasses. It passes the time at work. I’m a fan, so yeah I tend to want to see the positive here but I get that it’s just gossip.
@SloaneY: It’s possible. I was leaning towards her PR people being behind that whole thing.. I think it’s plausible that TH was being honest about not knowing the paps were outside because there were no paps outside when they got there (presumably, as there are no pics). So they got from the theater to the restaurant with no problems. They showed up while they were eating in a swarm. If one of their PR people called, you would think that they’d only call one who would then profit more with exclusives and give the pr team more control over the content. Those pics weren’t flattering to either of them because of the swarm of paps and everyone had them. That sounds like someone inside the restaurant put it on social media and they just showed up. Or someone did call and the swarm was a surprise.
…what was I saying about obsessive over analysis again?
Sloaney, IMO I think it was probably Tom’s idea, as NB says he’s the Londoner so he would know about the venue, just like an Angeleno would know similar places in LA. I’ve no doubt Lizzie knew what was going on though, just that maybe they expected a couple of paps and got ambushed, so it went tits up and she overeacted.
Invader, just an observation but neither Hardy or Fassbender come across to me as having controlled pr. Fassy in particular doesn’t seem to give a toss and does what he likes, smoking, being seen with women etc.just my impression though.
I have said this before, and been ignored before, and suspect I’ll be ignored again, but I’ll try anyway. Some of us do not care about PR. PR is their job. They have to engage in PR to get jobs; they have to engage in PR to support the jobs they get. Some of us do not care. I don’t care. I have to deal with PR in my own job. It’s part of the job and it is part of the job that I find boring to discuss and I find it extremely boring to discuss other people’s PR tactics and I skip over about 99% of those posts, as people are free to skip over my posts. Yet, when I and others state that we don’t care about PR, we are told that we are among those who fall for or don’t see through PR and that we are naive and the tone can get really, really harsh. We aren’t naive. We simply don’t care about discussions of PR tactics. Other things interest us. So, please, when people are again assigning people into groups of “It’s all PR” and “naive about PR,” please remember that there is a third group “don’t care about PR.” And probably several other groups as well. Thank you.
Don’t think he’s a terrible person yet he’s definitely more smoke and mirrors than many other actors. That’s why PR comes up so much with him: it’s responsible for a bigger-than-usual chunk of what you see of him as a person.
His moves and words are very controlled, so we don’t get opinions on subjects without a consensus because he’s trying to be everything to everyone.
I honestly don’t think it’s doing him any favors because as fickle as the public is, people like to see real flaws as opposed to that used car salesman vibe. We mess up, we have crap days, character flaws and bad traits, and we don’t trust or take note of people who don’t display them. He would go farther faster if he wasn’t diluting himself so much, it’s a shame.
You can see sightings of UK actors all over London and nobody cries PR staged -yes there are obvious events like selling shoes but again who cares at least they are not bad mouthing colleagues on chat shows-or Top Gear presenters.
If i do not like an actors behavior in interviews i just avoid then-i;e Russel Brand and Jeremy Clarkson .I think as the Guardian article says-Tom is a bit of an enigma ,well aware of what some people think of him but lives by his own beliefs and maintains his self intergrity
Lilac, thanks for the input and I think I understand where you’re coming from but PR includes the image and persona that’s being projected. If you don’t know the person what you see of their personality is in interviews, public events etc. so you don’t see them in a mood or having a bad day. As some other commenters I’ve noticed that the image Tom is projecting appears to be tightly controlled. As Lyn just pointed out its smoke and mirrors.
@Lyn, I do see what everyone means, but to Tom’s principles, he’s an actor first, and secondly, he’s stated, no one would really care what he thinks. Those thoughts are his and they’re private. I really admire his integrity.
I think the birthday presents thing has been a little overstated here (just my opinion though!). I decided to be sad and checked Twitter, and we have (drumroll…): one general thankyou tweet on his birthday; maybe two or three replies to thank fans who tweeted or asked if he got a present spread over the next week between other tweets; and finally the #openingpresentsslowly tweet ten days afterwards. Nothing else on that day, and certainly no day-long drag of him slowly baiting fans with photos.
Maybe I’m too naive, maybe others are more cynical (no disrespect meant) but to me, that episode isn’t half as bad as it sounds from the comments here and while I think he misjudged some stuff on Twitter, ive never read anything as being manipulative. But everyone has their opinion and like I said, I genuinely might just be too naive or optimistic!
He erased many of his comments about 2 years ago….
I remember that being talked about here, too, Nighty!
I remember the birthday thing in particular because it killed my LEGS ladyboner stone dead. I’ve largely missed any interwebz stuff about him since then unless someone’s mentioned it on here. My teeth couldn’t take the grinding!
What birthday thing? Can anyone elaborate?
I cannot not even remember it because it was such a small bubble on my horizon -i was having more fun the reading books and listening to Freddie Stephenson
My thoughts at the time is that this is an intelligent well read man who I enjoyed following
I would invite Bentley over for lunch. He could bring Tom only if he feels up to it.
What, Tom or the cat?
The cat, no doubt.
The cat is adorable. The pussy…not so much.
Heh, I like the fact that he “will verbally consider the question from every angle like he’s preparing a doctoral thesis in response”! I can see how it can be annoying, but he seems genuinely thoughtful and is willing to look at things from different perspectives.
I tend the answer the same way, so I have no issues with it either.
Lego Loki’s reenactment of this photo shoot with a Bentley lookalike is hysterical.
There’s another pic around from the photoshoot of Tom lying on the floor holding a glass of whiskey on his chest.
CB is bugging out on me, sorry.
He seems like an honestly decent man who gives well-considered answers. But this also has the unfortunate side-effect of him coming across a bit…dull in interviews. No sudden foot-in-mouth like Cumberbatch, no inventive language like Tom Hardy, no dopey non sequiturs like Robert Pattinson. Just nice, sensible answers phrased in a polite and intelligent way. It should be a good thing and he’s probably a publicist’s dream but it’s also…yawn.
That’s probably the trick to truly effective PR.
Sexy, slinky, photogenic…Bentley has it ALL. He isn’t giving an inch to some ginger upstart trying to block his light! Okay…Tom looks lovely, too.
LMAO…you rock Kri
Think you all need to go the Charlie Gray’s twitter page – more photos. Will try and post link but don’t think it will let me. And check his facebook page promise.
Sorry if not allowed:
instagram.com/charlie_gray_/
Charlie Gray has posted six previously unpublished pictures from the 2012 Hollow Crown shoot, and they are awesome.
Normally I tend to agree with Kaiser but this time I have to disagree… I think this is the best interview he has ever given to anyone. Interesting, honest, eloquent and very mature. I really think that he sometimes comes across like a dork but all in all he is incredibly smart and well spoken. And this is very rare nowadays.
That cat is prettier than him!
Puppy photos and now cat photos. He’s working his way right into my heart.
Something what I don’t get is the comparison between actors. People on here love Idris, Hardy, Cumberbatch etc. Fair enough. I don’t really get it but whatever….And they compare actors. So Hiddleston seems dull and boring compared to them which I highly doubt btw but here is the thing: every actor is different. Every actor has to mature and get used to fame. Every actor makes mistakes. People change throughout the time. So being well spoken and educated enough for not pissing people off or not promoting their private life in interviews seems to be boring these days. Comparing is normal but it doesn’t make it right. May be every actor we love is a douchebag…. May be Hardy is a cheating idiot. May be Cumberbatch is a controlling freak. May be Hiddleston is creepy behind closed doors. They show us what they want to share. Who knows. We don’t know these people and never will. Let’s appreciate their work. Btw the cat is cute.
agreed- people will compare, unjustly so. And yes celebrities are criticized for over sharing or promoting their private lives (re: BC) and others are considered rude for keeping things private. People have to realize they are not entitled to some information.
Just seen the Guardian interview: “I ask him who he voted for at the general election. “I won’t tell you that.” “Why not?” “I’m not in the business of being politically divisive. I don’t want to set a precedent. It’s a private matter”.
Very wise.
Damn it – how can you NOT like the guy. @Catherine, that’s not directed at you, but more of a general, universal “Why isn’t everyone as smitten as I am” kind of thing.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/08/tom-hiddleston-interview-crimson-peak
Ok, so the thing that stuck out to me in this was the New Year’s resolution of “No Smoking”. I didn’t realize that he was a smoker, tho’ I understand that’s pretty common in the acting world. I was enjoying my fantasy of the non-smoking Hiddles. Fags can be sexy, but after dating a smoker, I can’t tolerate the smell all over everything. Ugh. Hope he kicks the habit once and for all.
It was a good interview. I enjoy hearing him be passionate about things.
He said he did a bit when he played Hank, so I wonder if it’s more of an occasional thing rather than straight up chain smoking like Cumberbatch.
It’s somwhat odd that the interviewer scarcely mentions HR while discussing his crazy fandom in detail. “Buying new clothes” is another resolution he couldn’t keep.
I’ve never seen reports of him smoking, not in public anyway so I was surprised about that too.
This is an example of how tightly he controls his image: Most of us didn’t know he had an addiction to nicotine until this article. He is very careful not to be caught smoking socially, because it doesn’t align with the public image he’s crafted over the years. I’m not shading him, just pointing out the deliberateness of it, that’s all.
Perhaps within the context of a conversation about authenticity he felt compelled to reveal it here. I actually think it’s good for him to show that he wrestles with a demon like the rest of us. Makes him more human. I don’t buy it when someone says the right things all the time and never shows that they struggle to be a better person in certain areas. I pretty much assume everyone is a hot mess and some just hide it much better than others.
Smoking a little is hardly an addiction to nicotine.
I heard his character smokes allot in High Rise.
He has never hidden that he smokes or not. The way he casually mentions it, it’s a topic that hardly, if ever, gets brought up in interviews. Hardly image controlling.
I’m the opposite of you Nuts. I will assume the person is decent UNTIL they have shown themselves otherwise. We’re just two different people 😛 For the most part, pretty much everyone I know is a decent person. No one is perfect, obviously, but I’m just not curious enough to find their flaws.
neutral, I think the comment that he made a resolution not to smoke means he had an addiction that he was trying to kick. His comment that he smoked a bit in ISTL and that it was “stupid” indicates what then? Was it stupid to smoke a bit? Or did the smoking a bit make it difficult to quit again? I would argue the latter based on what I know happens chemically in the brain of those who have enjoyed smoking.
jammy, we are different in the way we perceive actors and their image-projecting. Any flaws will be covered and will not be admitted to; else they ruin their the image they’ve worked so hard to maintain. Some are sloppier or care less than others and some just get caught. Tom’s able to avoid getting caught but I don’t buy that he’s as clean and perfect as he projects himself to be. Look at the resolutions: only smoking could possibly be considered a weakness of any sort and even then, until he elaborates on the subject, some of you still won’t accept the possibility that he might have an addiction.
I feel like a broken record in having to state that every decent person still has their vices and weaknesses. My favorite actors aren’t above that. They can be flawed and still be good human beings; it’s not an either / or situation. We’re complex, imperfect people. Some are more open about it, but Tom is not one of them.
Wasn’t he pictured with a cigarette at the London Evening Theatre Event last year? This is not a suprise to me tbh.
Gingerly, I thought that too. From reviews of High Rise his character chain smokes through the entire film, and yet the interview says he “did a bit” when playing Hank. So does that mean he started up again after quitting? If he made a resolution not to smoke and it was stupid that does suggest some kind of habit.
As an ex-smoker I’m not judging I was just surprised as there have been no pics or sightings of him smoking so he must do it in private.
I remember a tumblr blog from someone working as an extra on the Hollow Crown who saw him on a cigarette break so I got the impression he quit.
As someone who has struggled with addictions to various things throughout the years, I’m not judging either. It would be odd to see him smoking off-screen though, as it doesn’t really jive with his image. I can see why he’d want to keep that under the radar, tho’ I prefer full disclosure personally.
Can I live in denial about the smoking addiction? The crazy from IMDb said he smoked and I can’t be in a world where she is right about something.
@Guest, that was around the time he played Hank.
@Nuts, it’s widely regarded that smoking is a health hazard, hence maybe why it’s called “stupid”. My interpretation would be that he thinks it’s a stupid habit to pick up (or go back to). Honestly, I don’t think learning he smoked was a bad thing. It’s not my thing, but I don’t judge people who do. Half my friends smoke. I wouldn’t go so far to call it a demon or image controlling. The only times my friends smoke is when they go out for drinks or at home or on lunch breaks. It’s not like they’ll just pop one out at work or at more formal ocassions.
Jammy, I don’t think anyone was criticising him smoking just that hes careful not to smoke in public which suggests control of his image. There are regular sightings or candid pics of him and no mention of him smoking.
@browniecakes, Luke Evans has said that all the cigarettes in High-Rise were fake but they gave off some kind of vapor and he was having trouble with the vapors.
Well, if you would like to say he is controlling his images tightly by not being caught with smoking, you should know A) how often he smokes, B) when he begins to smoke again, and C) when he smokes. If he smokes only once in a month, only when he is drinking – I know some people do so -, it’s not strange we don’t know he smokes once in a while. And we don’t have many candids of him since last spring because he was shooting in Canada, Ireland, and US, do we? If he want a perfect image and he is that careful and smart, he could have avoid mentioning smoking habit at all. I am sure he has a few other weaknesses he could summon at that time.
You can simply use this as an evidence for the fact that we don’t know him that well because there are only very limited ways of knowing his real life. No wonder. We are neither his friends nor his family, hence there are all these speculations.
Gingerly, you are FAR too sensible for this place. Please turn in your CeleB**ch card immediately! 😉
I’m curious as to when the actual interview was conducted. The summary reviews of ISTL and CP could have been added immediately prior to press time but the interviewer never asks Tom any actual questions about the two films so it is possible the interviewer hadn’t seen either film or summary of either film before the interview. There’s no summary of High-Rise. Why ask about the general election, which happened in early May for a piece in October? Why ask about New Year’s Resolutions in a piece for October? And Tom refers to smoking on ISTL like it was fairly recent, which at this point in time, it isn’t. The article doesn’t even have a line about the BFI position, which could have been inserted at beginning or end where the information about the film release dates appear. I think the interview was done a while ago and combined with other more recent information about the two films. I DO like the interview and the points made but just think it didn’t happen recently. And, as we’ve all seen, Tom has new clothes despite his statement in the interview that he doesn’t have new clothes.
@Gingerly, I agree with TB. You are quite sensible but don’t turn in your membership card. We need some sensible people.
Lilacflowers, that is very astute of you to notice. I had thought it a bit od that he mentioned smoking from last year, and we had seem him in quite a few new clothes (apart from the old boots!). It never connected with me that it might be an old interview.
It IS odd, in that it feels like it was done a while ago–but he seems travelled-out. Also, the author just contacted Rodney Crowell (via Twitter! 😉 ) five days ago for his comments. So, I just don’t know.
Gingerly, thank you for the wisdom of the last paragraph, exactly, we don’t know the guy.
I think the interview was done recently, in the last few weeks. although it’s odd his smoking last year is mentioned (having read it again he most likely gave up after filming) it sounds like a general chat, and Corbyn is mentioned and he was barely known in mainstream media until about 2 months ago with the Labour leadership campaign. Plus interviews like this are scheduled during film promo.
Gingerly, thank you for the wisdom of the last paragraph, exactly, we don’t know the guy.
I think the interview was done recently, in the last few weeks. although it’s odd his smoking last year is mentioned (having read it again it sounds like he gave up after filming) it’s a general chat, and Corbyn is mentioned who was barely known in mainstream media until about 2 months ago with the Labour leadership campaign. Plus interviews like this are scheduled during film promo.
But in the New Year’s resolution he failed to keep Tom says “I’ve seen his jacket on this press tour a fair bit”, and his press tour started with TIFF, and since the interview happened in London they probably met after San Sebastian Festival.
Meh. I wish he would dare to reveal an actual opinion sometime. I don;t think it is “divisive.” I think most people would respect it. Come on Hiddles, show some emotion where it truly counts! You are way too smart to not have an opinion you can back up!
We are not entitled to his opinions on 90% of topics. I certainly think he is entitled to keep his voting private. And once he puts an opinion out there it can’t go back in the box.
Miss J, I can see him keeping his political leanings private since that’s a hot button topic, but agree that it would be nice to hear him share an opinion that might not be held by the general populace and could be debatable. You know he’ll back it up with a thorough defense.
neutral, Miss J said stating an opinion isn’t decisive, not that we’re entitled to his opinions. I would agree with her statement. Personally, I hate conversations where everyone stating the same opinion; I like a little debate and hearing from other sides. I always learn something, even if I don’t agree.
NUTBALLS trouble is as Tom says what ever he says goes into print and becomes public record and like many of us he may just have had a bad day but for most of us it will be long forgotten and probably go unnoticed-or be forgotten not analysed 3 yeas later
@ Miss Jupitero, In the article, he gave his opinions on equal pay for women in HW in the article. I am not sure most people would respect who Hiddles voted for, considering posh bashing in UK media. And I guess the interviewer himself didn’t expect Tom to answer the question. He seems to be more interested in the way Tom speaks.
@Catherine, yes, a very wise answer. Especially as his position as BFI ambassador will likely involve asking for money from all corners, including government funding. It can be difficult to ask for government appropriations when you’re on record for calling the person whose approval you need a prat.
so true-sharing who you vote for is your choice
He’s so boring. The cat is cute though!
So tell me again why EVERY Tom Hiddleston post has to have the BC dig in it? It’s gotten old. Plus, if I thought discussions of Sherlock’s sexual prowess were ‘pithy’, I probably wouldn’t be so devoted to this guy.
Hmmm. Must really need my coffee (as yet undrunk) this am–feeling quite the crankypants.
TB, I’m fed up of it too.
But you do care enough to go there! lol
Not sure I understand what you’re saying. I come to every Tom Hiddleston post (check out my name! Truth in advertising!) and this morning I chose to comment on a pattern of bc-connected comments that have been annoying to me. Of course I care about Mr. H–I couldn’t make my Dragonfly nature more obvious if I tried!
@ Sixer, Nutballs, Lindy79, Lilac and to whomever it may concern:
Damn it!!! NONE of you gives a crap about Taylor Swift? I left an important message for youses on her thread. Not going to repost it here.
T.Fanty is not here so I’ll let it slide.
Oh darling. I never look at pop music threads. I don’t understand pop music. WHERE ARE THE GUITARS?
Going to look now.
PS: I love you.
Or if not guitars, violins. One or the other or it is questionable as music. Okay, pianos.
I don’t give a crap about Swifty, but I do about you and hightailed it over there just now. You’ll see my response, so won’t repost here.
I will have to polite disagree with Kaiser. I think someone who takes time to think before he/she speaks is an excellent quality of which more people should acquire. Cumberbatch clearly speaks without thinking more-often-than -not which leads to many facepalm moments. I think it is great that TH sounds thoughtful and educated. What is wrong with that? He is criticized if he sounds too silly and the same for too serious.
+100000000!
My only complaint is that the interview wasn’t long enough. harrumph.
ditto
Me too. On a tangent… Holy cr@p that’s a gorgeous sassy tabby!
Have concluded that the Guardian article is fantastic.
“He puts his heart and soul into all of the job – promotion included. So you believe him as he has fun when dancing his way around the talk-show circuit, or doing impressions, or hamming it up atrociously while selling us sports cars. He is, according to those who he’s acted with, an extraordinarily hard worker. The result is a performance, even in situations at their most engineered, that is as genuine as it is game. There is no front to any of it.”
Yes, yes I do. I do believe it. This article seems like the author wasn’t buying ‘Tom Hiddleston’–and then he did the interview and follow ups with co-workers, and got the Hiddle-Effect.
I like Jousie Rourke’s answer, which points out the media’s role. As she said, in many cases media keep talking about his fanbase for their own interests. Always loved Crowell’s interactions with Tom.
That cat looks stuffed half the time, and the fur looks sickly. I don’t know what ya’ll see in it.
Cue the pussy jokes.
*yawn*
Posing with cats on the internet is a tired cliche. So you like cats? Good for you. I do too but so what?
Have a bisodol. Or two.
Will do.
Actually, the art director of a print magazine distributed in bricks and mortar newsstands decided to have him pose with the cat for an story and photo spread in the magazine. The pics naturally found their way onto the internet, but that wasn’t their intended use.
You know, just being accurate and all.
Don’t split hairs. It’s tedious.
That’s not all that is.
“he really doesn’t get a ton of negative stuff coming his way”
I really disagree. The other day there were over two hundred comments, many extremely insulting, debating whether TH saying he liked “strong women” was a bad thing. I mean what? That’s just people trying to be negative. Just look at some of the stuff in this thread, people going out of there way just to post they don’t like him. Fine, whatever, you’re prerogative, but staying away from internet comments and social media to avoid the negative stuff is wise in my book and I’m glad he’s decided to go that way.
Sorry but the last few threads have had the odd “I don’t get the fuss” posts but I don’t remember the extremely insulting comments you’re referring to. Debating and discussion yes.
Re the smoking issue – he said he smoked a bit during ISTL which he said was stupid. It seems to me that it meant he wasn’t smoking immediately before and possibly stopped after the film finished.
He also said ” a bit.” The “cigarettes” on the High-Rise set were fake and Luke Evans said he was having trouble with even those. Sounds like a casual smoker, usually done when around a smoker or group of smokers and you ask for a cigarette. He said “no smoking,” which is what casual smokers usually say. Most regular smokers or chain smokers I know who are trying to quit say “quit smoking” or “stop smoking.”
I Just thought he might have felt very stressed when he was shooting ISTL if he once quit smoking and began to smoke again. He might have wanted to feel more like Hank who was addicted to many stuffs.
My brother “quits” and smokes again for about five years, and actually I don’t know he completely quits smoking now.
I get the smoking. I have never been a regular, habitual smoker, but when I was in college and grad school I would smoke at a party if someone offered me a cigarette. recently I took part in a poetry festival, and everyone was smoking during the break. I caved in.
There is nothing nicer than a slender cigarette when you are hanging with a bunch of avant garde poets with their Gertrude Stein tattoos. Mmmmmm. Seriously guys, it feels soooo good. Very relaxing. I realized I enjoyed it way too much. I actually bought a pack at one point but wisely threw it away.
I don’t smoke, if i did while filming a movie to get into character, I would refer to it as “a stupid idea” afterwards. Someone who smokes on the regular can’t really hide it for years on end. I really don’t think the man is saying he’s a chain smoker. He has also expressed how he doesn’t understand addiction to anything. Wow he does really have to watch everything he says doesn’t he….I’m sure he will clarify it at some point. Except most won’t believe him whatever he says.
The Guardian interview was refreshing until I got to the “no smoking” part. It’s done a number on his beautiful teeth that is for sure. I thought they didn’t look as sparkly white as usual lately. I’m sad. 🙁
Regarding the smoking question, yes – as someone mentioned above he was spotted with a cigarette during a break in filming of The Hollow Crown. For whatever that’s worth.
i smoked quite heavily from my teens till i got pregnant when i gave up till i had finished breast feeding -I did go back to light smoking after a while in the evening and then gave up again but it did tend to build up again o in the end i decided to make it permanent.I can see him regetting he had started again.
But is it really are business -it is his risk to deal with -hiding it may be more about the image he projects to young Marvel fans
And perhaps he has stopped again!!
I’m now a fully converted fan of him and the cat with the steely blue eyes. He expresses himself well. Not sure where the “airiness” requirement comes from. Like “oh no! He’s too earnest!” Pfft.
Let me be the first to say “Welcome!” You picked an excellent time to convert – he has enough projects coming up to keep everyone buzzing with excitement for months to come. Those of us that were around these parts for the great drought of 2014 are only just now recovering.
welcome from me as well
Welcome Tara! and I agree with Dara. The drought was brutal so this is quite refreshing.
Lilacflowers: u will likely never see this. But I hear you. I would like to be added to Group Doesn’t Care About PR.
Consider yourself added, Tara.
And me?
Thing about PR, remember (can we forget) how Tom was seen walking along with his arm on EO’s shoulder in Oxford (except it was actually London!) the day before the dinner incident? Well that was taken by a member of the public, not a pap, who sold it to the DM for £50. But it was immediately pounced upon as PR. So guy isn’t seen for months, and he is tightly controlling his image. Guy is seen on the street, in say London/Oxford/Toronto, how do we know which is guy walking along the street (as you do) or a random papshot or “oh, how awful he has called the paps, lets condemn him to hell and back?”
Neutral, oh yes the candid pic. That’s not pr because 1. its bloody awful quality and from behind and 2. It was posted to a hateful tumblr blog, which makes no sense at all. It was also as you’ve said taken in London (I’ve heard the pic was taken in Tom’s neighbourhood). It appeared on Monday and the theatre restaurant outing was Thurs.
You have to understand that those who think that pic is pr are in denial about theo. When it was discussed on a previous thread one poster said it was photoshopped.
Are you asking how can you tell the difference?
Catherine, basically in a lot of cases yes. I’m not really bothered about the restaurant photo, couldn’t care less either way. It’s just that if you see a photo of him walking down the street why does it always (to some) have to be PR – he can’t stay holed up 24/7?
I guess it depend who hes walking down the street with doesnt it? Candid pics of TH have appeared quite regularly recently and he’s almost always alone. When a pic appears with his arm around a woman, some fans can’t deal with it so they convince themselves it’s pr-related.
That pic is obviously a candid by a fan/stalker bc its been taken surreptitiously from behind and it’s a poor quality phone pic, it’s also his neighbourhood. If he did those kind of pics they’d be taken by a professional with a camera and show their faces – though I highly doubt he’d agree to anything near his home.
If it’s high quality pics, and alot of them then it’s likely to be a set up – see the recent pics of Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk as an example. Or, someone not high profile enough in an out-the-way location (Lee-Ann Rimes does alot of those). With actual pap shots without the subjects knowledge theres only a few pics of them walking down the street, the ones with Tom he’s usually side-eyeing the camera (like on the CP set).
@ CAtherine side eying as in **** off?
Count me in!
I love this guy. He should be the next Bond.