Tom Hiddleston has spoken to NME about his love of the “masterful” Bob Dylan and the “extraordinary” Bon Iver – check out the full video interview above.
Hiddleston was in London recently to promote his upcoming fantasy drama film The Life Of Chuck, which is based on the Stephen King book of the same name. While sitting down with NME, we took him back in time to when he used to share a “Song Of The Day” on Twitter.
“It was just my way of sharing music, which is something that’s supposed to be shared and enjoyed,” Hiddleston said.
Speaking about his decision to share Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowing In The Wind’, Hiddleston admitted that he was a “big” fan of the songwriter. “I was aware of Bob Dylan growing up, and his extraordinary reputation as a lyricist, a poet and a musician but I came to him quite late in terms of my own connection,” he said.
“In my 20s, I just started listening to his songs and to his lyrics [and it just clicked]. I guess I had to be a little bit older. I think he’s just the master. And that song is probably his most famous but it’s so beautiful. Those lyrics are eternal.”
He went on to say his decision to play fellow folk superstar Hank Williams in 2015’s I Saw The Light was based on how much Dylan was inspired by him. “I wanted to see where Hank Williams exists in the chain of musical inheritance,” he shared. “It wasn’t just Dylan, it was Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones and Leonard Cohen as well – they’ve all talked about how influential Hank Williams was.”
Despite being a massive Dylan fan, Hiddleston still hasn’t seen 2024 biopic A Complete Unknown. “Timothée Chalamet is an extraordinary actor and I have heard what a compelling and total performance it is so I can’t wait to see it.”
Song of the Day: "Holocene", by Bon Iver. It reminds me that the world turns, and that amid all its teeming chaos, there is still beauty.
— Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) August 26, 2012
Elsewhere in the interview, Hiddleston praised Bon Iver after previously choosing his 2011 single ‘Holocene’ as his “Song Of The Day”. “That song just takes me somewhere. It’s so beautiful and so serene,” he explained.
“He just has this ability to write joyful music that has a strain of melancholy, and it sounds like he’s discovered a secret that we all knew but forgot about. He’s got an extraordinary gift.”
Hiddleston is set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe next year after the Loki actor was one of several names confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. He’ll be joined by Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Robert Downey Jr.. However it doesn’t look like Captain America star Chris Evans will be making an appearance.
‘The Life Of Chuck’ is released in UK cinemas on August 20