HOW TO BE A SUPERHERO Shares Tom Hiddleston's Favorite Part Of Being A Supervillain!
The new book from Mark Edlitz shares interviews from some of the top film and TV superhero stars, including fan favorites Tom Hiddleston, Adam West, Clark Gregg and Kevin Conroy. Learn more about the book and Tom Hiddleston's thoughts on Loki after the link!
Mark Edlitz new book, How to Be a Superhero, hit retailers last month and it has been getting pretty good reviews so far. As Edlitz put it; "It's like Hall H in a book.", so what better time than now, the week of the San Diego Comic-Con, to let the CBM community know about it?! Is playing a superhero a privilege or a curse? How to Be a superhero goes directly to the source to find out!
As a treat for the great users at CBM, I'm including just a portion of Mark Edlitz interview with Tom Hiddleston (Loki). It's a GREAT interview and I wish I could share the interview in its entirety, but you'll have to pick up the book for it.
Edlitz: Michael Chabon called the outfit that superheroes wear their "secret skin," something that reveals the true nature of the character wearing it. In what way is Loki's outfit his secret skin?
Hiddleston: Loki's clothes are fashioned from black leather, green moleskin and burnished golden metal. Its layers suggest the character's elegance, his vanity, and hint at a magician's inclination to concealment. The costume is also, in its way, martial. Loki's armor is exactly that: armor. His clothes are his defense against the world. The color scheme and design (of which he may or may not be conscious) denotes hostility and danger. His horned helmet, only worn on occasions where regal formality is appropriate or required and for battle, is manifestly an emblem of his villainy. The horns evoke the iconography of the character's roots in Norse mythology, while also clearly demonstrating his 'devilish' spirit.
Edlitz: When you put on Loki's uniform did you feel powerful? Does wearing his costume help transform you at all?
Hiddleston: Loki's costume has the effect of making me feel taller, heavier, and harder. The weight of the leather tails on Loki's long coat makes me feel more grounded, and the close-fitting straps of the breastplate behave like an armored corset. It feels as though my back is held straighter and higher and my shoulders broader. It feels powerful, and dangerous.
Edlitz: What is the best part of being a supervillain?
Hiddleston: The best part of being a supervillain is without question being able to see the joy it has given to audiences all over the world, across all ages and cultures, to see these characters come to live. When I've attended early screenings of the Marvel films (and have met children and families and groups of friends afterwards), the greatest reward is to see them laugh, gasp, clap and cheer with delight. All you can hope for as an actor is to make a connection. And if that connection is entertaining, and gives a degree of pleasure, I feel proud to have been a part of it, and to have done my job.
How to Be a Superhero is the first book to explore the superhero phenomenon from the actor's perspective and it includes quite a cast of characters including Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), James Marsden (Cyclops), Lou Ferrigno (Hulk), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Adam West (Batman), Tim Daly (Superman), Yvonne Craig (Batgirl), Julie Newmar (Catwoman), Kevin Conroy (Batman) and Dean Cain (Superman). It also includes actors who have portrayed The Flash, Lex Luthor, Lous Lane, Spider-Man, Daredevil and more.
Some of the more interesting tidbits include:
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Adrianne Palicki's first full-length interview about her never-aired Wonder Woman pilot.
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Interviews with the cast of Roger Corman's unreleased Fantastic Four feature film.
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Interviews with Stan Lee
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Interviews with Jon Favreau (Iron Man)