Book excerpt: British television, stage and film actor Tom Hiddleston has a gift for playing the villain. Still only in his thirties, he has become one of Britain's great acting exports and has brought both the big and small screen to life for audiences around the world. First emerging on British television and stage - winning the Lawrence Olivier Award in 2008 and appearing in Othello opposite Ewan Macgregor - Hiddleston's breakthrough came when he was cast as Loki in the 2011 Thor film, and again in The Avengers (2012) and the 2013 blockbuster Thor: The Dark World, a role that cemented him as a star. He has since worked with legends of stage and screen, including Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg, and recently won a Golden Globe for his role in the BBC adaptation of John Le Carre's The Night Manager. In this book, Sarah Marshall traces Tom Hiddleston's career to date, from his early introduction to theatre as a child, through to his role at the heart of the blockbuster Marvel Universe and leaves few readers doubting the incredible talent of this modern star.