Tom Hiddleston is known for his charm, wit, and, of course, his iconic portrayal of Loki in the MCU. But who knew the British actor could bust a move on the dance floor? In his latest project, ‘The Life of Chuck‘, Hiddleston had to swap his mischievous god of mischief persona for something a little more… rhythmic.
Playing Charles “Chuck” Krantz in the adaptation of Stephen King‘s novella, he found himself diving headfirst into a six-week crash course in dance. And we’re not talking just a two-step — we’re talking jazz, swing, samba, cha-cha, and even a bit of bossa nova.
The Dance That Took Tom Hiddleston By Surprise
In ‘The Life of Chuck‘, Tom Hiddleston’s character, Chuck, is far from his usual MCU self. Chuck is an accountant whose life holds many mysteries, but there’s one particularly magical moment that stands out.
To pull off this extended dance scene, Hiddleston had to learn multiple styles. “I had to do all of these technical dances, none of which I have any training in,” Hiddleston said at Variety‘s Toronto Film Festival studio. And while he might not have been an expert, he quickly found his rhythm.
“There are some that came more easily than others. I found I love dancing jazz and swing. Bossa nova is a technical thing that took my hips a minute to get my head around. Polka is like a 100-meter sprint. It feels like a gallop,” he said.
But if you think Hiddleston was pressured to nail every step perfectly, think again. He admits the dance sequence was less about being a perfectionist and more about pure, unfiltered joy.
“This dance number evolves very spontaneously. If I didn’t nail the technique, it was about expressing the joy,” Hiddleston said. “But yeah, bossa nova…“
‘The Life Of Chuck’ Is A Stephen King Story With Heart
Directed by Mike Flanagan, ‘The Life of Chuck‘ is a feel-good story set against an apocalyptic backdrop. But don’t expect fiery explosions or monsters under the bed. This isn’t a typical Stephen King horror story. Instead, it’s more like ‘Shawshank Redemption‘ meets ‘Stand By Me‘ – a film about human connections, with a sprinkle of hope and a dash of life’s unpredictability.
Flanagan, who previously adapted King’s ‘Doctor Sleep‘, describes this project as more “life-affirming” than his previous horror work. “Our lives are like this. They are not ordered and monochromatic,” he reflected on the film’s unique structure.
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Hiddleston’s co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor also weighed in, but don’t expect any joint dance scenes – the two don’t share the screen. Ejiofor, who plays a teacher grappling with the end of the world, simply observed Hiddleston’s moves from a distance. “It looked great to me!” he quipped.
Hiddleston himself left us with a poignant thought. “Moments of spontaneity, connection, and joy become [what] we remember in the last hours of our lives,” he added.
“[The film] is about trying to find those moments and experience them and hold them dear,” he said. “Because the world is full of pain and suffering. That’s true. But there are also moments of of joy. And I’ve never seen it so beautifully expressed as in this story.“
