Talking to
The Guardian, the British actor talked in detail about his role in
Thor, and while you might think that there's nothing left to hear from the actor what with the movie set to be released in the UK tomorrow (and already out in Australia) this is a surprisingly interesting interview!
On The Controversy Surrounding A Black Actor Being Cast As A Norse God:
"Ken told me that every actor has something for free. Jack Nicholson has an irreverence for free, Anthony Hopkins has a majesty and gravitas for free. Idris Elba, who plays Heimdall in Thor – and, by the way, anyone who's been complaining about a black actor being cast as a Norse god is just crazy; this is a fantasy world, for goodness sake – has a watchful gravitas for free. He explained that what I have for free is that I can't turn off my intelligence. Therefore Loki would be much more up my street."
On His Relationship With Kenneth Branagh:
"Ken found out he'd got the job in late 2008, when we were appearing at the Donmar together, knocking eight bells of ideological crap out of each other every night in Chekhov's Ivanov. Dressed as the self-righteous 19th-century doctor Lvov, with wire-rimmed spectacles, a pocket watch, grey trousers, a linen jacket and a goatee, I ran up to Ken's dressing room holding a massive empty water cooler that I pretended was Thor's hammer. He looked at me and said, 'Don't joke, love, you never know.'"
On Nearly Being Cast As Thor Rather Than Loki:
"I thought, well Ken knows what I can do. Every English-speaking actor over six foot was being seen for the part. I got down to the final five, which also included Chris's younger brother Liam Hemsworth, Alexander Skarsgård, Charlie Hunnam and another Swedish actor. I've inherited my father's lean Glaswegian genes, but I managed to put on three and a half stone in lean muscle. I ate nothing but chicken and just lifted and lifted weights till I could barely walk. Initially it was hard and then it got quite addictive. I outgrew my clothes and started to stand differently."
On His Excitement About Being A Part Of The Movie:
"It's a wildly exciting time. I've never been in a film that has posters on the tube. And it's not even my face on the poster."
On What Audiences Should Look Forward To Seeing In Thor:
"There's the action in Thor, with big, muscle-bound men smashing things up. There's the humour – my favourite line is when Thor strides into a pet shop and demands a horse. And then there's Loki's psychological depth. I hope it means that Thor can appeal to many people on many levels."
With an all star cast which includes Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury,
Thor is set to be released in the UK on April 29 and shortly after in the US on May 6, later this year!
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