It’s honestly such a bummer that Tom Hiddleston kissing Taylor Swift on some rocks in Rhode Island has seemingly eclipsed his 15+ years in the film industry. The British actor and activist has been in some really powerful movies, on top of working with some truly noble causes. Here are four things Tom Hiddleston has done in his life that may or may not be more important than that #Hiddleswift kiss.
1. He plays the mischievous villain Loki in the Avengers and Thor movies
This is easily Tom’s most well-known role. Fun fact: He initially auditioned to play Thor, but director Kenneth Branagh (aka the actor who played Professor Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) decided Tom was better to play Thor’s cunning half-brother Loki instead. Tom will be back as the lovable villain in 2017 with Thor: Ragnarok, the third installment in the franchise. While we’re talking about his film history, it’s worth mentioning Tom also played F. Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris, a vampire named Adam in Only Lovers Left Alive, American music legend Hank Williams in the recent film I Saw the Light and spy Jonathan Pine in the TV mini-series The Night Manager—just to name a few.
2. He’s an ambassador for UNICEF
As if we didn’t love him enough as Loki, he’s actually a good human being! Back in 2013, he traveled with UNICEF UK to Guinea, where he worked on projects involving water sanitation, hunger and education. In 2015, he went to South Sudan to work on malnourishment and protecting children from becoming enslaved as child soldiers. He is so passionate about a child’s right to a better childhood, he even wrote this article for The Independent asking the people and leaders of the UK to help protect these children. Sounds like a pretty solid “good guy” to us.
3. He went to school with Prince William
He was a year ahead of Wills at Eton and told The Mirror: “There was a general and very quietly stated ethos when he arrived that there was no special treatment and no special favors.” And while we’re on the topic of school, it’s worth mentioning…
4. He has a college degree
A degree doesn’t make a man necessarily, but it does show that he’s got more than just a pretty face. He attended the University of Cambridge where he received a double first (like a double undergrad degree) in Classics. He then went on to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he studied acting.
See? He’s educated, genuinely nice and is a successful actor—all things that have nothing to do with his and Taylor’s kiss.