Tom Hiddleston Gets Real About Dealing With Fame

With dozens of Tumblrs devoted to his characters, his interviews, his fan encounters, and even a Pinterest board dedicated solely to the actor's butt, Tom Hiddleston is the focus of many fans' admiration. With the popularity of his villainous Thor character, Loki, sultry roles in films like Crimson Peak and series like The Night Manager , and memorable appearances at conventions like Comic-Con, the 35-year-old Brit is no stranger to fame. But that doesn't mean he likes to talk about it.

"Fame. It's very difficult to talk about," he admits at the Los Angeles press day for his latest project, I Saw The Light . "Everyone has an opinion about fame, and it's not really about my opinion or my perspective because everyone's idea of it is different... so i have no control of it, really. The only thing I have control over is my work. How I'm perceived is beyond my control. " he says.

He has a point. A Google search for Hiddleston's name turns out nearly nine million results. And while many of these results celebrate the actor and his career, surely not every fan page or gossip column paints Hiddleston in a fair and unbiased — let alone flattering — light.

"I really am OK with that. If I expended energy worrying about it, about things I simply cannot control, about people I've never met in countries far away that maybe I'll never see... my energy is better redirected into my work — which is the most important thing," he says. "I'm very grateful there are people who enjoy my work. That's the takeaway for me. If Loki garnered fans then it's a source of pride because it means they believe in the character and they enjoyed the character. The fact that he struck a cord with audiences is still the source of surprise and delight. I had no idea he was going to be such a popular character."

To conclude, Hiddleston says: "I'm just lucky enough to be able to keep doing the work, and if there are people out there who want to watch it, then I'm happy."

And while his bare bum doesn't make an appearance, Hiddleston's vocal talents are on display in his latest film, I Saw The Light, which hits theaters March 25.