I won't front: One of my greatest accomplishments to date is getting to meet Tom Hiddleston in person (and taking a selfie with him). I'd been a fan of Hiddleston's since May 2012, and although I'd seen Avengers that summer, I was more swayed by his general personality than his role as Loki. I'd come across interviews of his on Tumblr and he seemed very unassuming and kind, which is a rare quality for someone so famous.
Over the next year I saw all of his movies and became a full-fledged Hiddlestoner. So in November 2013, when I learned that he was going to be on Good Morning America, I resolved that I was going to finally meet him. I wanted to see if he was as nice in person as he was online.
So, I convinced a fellow Hiddlestoner friend of mine to brave the chilly, rainy Friday morning and together we headed to Times Square at 4:00 AM. The whole waiting ordeal was a few hours long, and I only got to see Hiddleston for about 20 minutes. But I'll never forget that Nov. 1, and for those of you who haven't had the luck to meet him yet — here's how it all went down for me.
Meeting the Fellow Fans
When we arrived, there were about 12 other dedicated fans there. Hiddleston wasn't due for another couple of hours, so we all hung out and talked about the man we collectively loved. Most of the people I met were awesome, and it was fun to fangirl about Hiddleston in person — instead of just online. But here's the deal with waiting to meet Hiddleston: not everyone is there for the right reasons.
As showtime neared, a number of autograph-seekers started to show up. They annoyed some fans who felt it was disrespectful to sneak in line just to get an autograph to sell. But they weren't the only problem: I was also shocked and appalled by the things some fans were saying about what they'd like to do to Hiddleston sexually. Those are comments usually reserved for tags on blogs, not actual out-loud conversations. It was definitely jarring talk for the early morning.
I should say, not everyone was like that, of course. I met a lot of very cool, sincere Hiddlestoners who were just excited to meet their idol — but I was definitely surprised by some of the people who showed up.
The Initial Sighting
Hiddleston was about an hour late. That meant that when he finally showed up, he was rushed right into the studio. Someone who worked there promised he'd come back on his way out, since he knew we'd been waiting for hours. But, honestly, I would have been happy with just the initial sighting. He stepped out of the car and it was absolutely glorious. He was, like, 10 times more attractive in person. (And so tall!) He beamed and waved at all of us, and I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing. So it's a wonder I got any photos at all.
The Interaction
After he did a brief interview with the GMA hosts, Hiddleston came back over to the fans. It was really sweet of him to do so, because I'm sure he was running late and it was also raining. But he was really gracious and signed things for people until his publicist caught on to the autograph hunters and told Hiddleston to stop. After that, he took a bunch of selfies with people (including me!) I was mortified because I'd forgotten to turn my camera to face the front when I handed my phone over, but he just very patiently switched it for me and snapped the picture. (I'm the one in the red jacket smiling like my face might break.) But, LOOK HOW CLOSE HE WAS TO ME! I COULD HAVE TOUCHED HIM. But I didn't, because that would have been rude.
There was a lot of jostling and shouting from behind the barricade, and I was embarrassed to note that some fans were trying to quell the commotion by loudly shouting, "f***ing stop!" over and over again. It was awkward since Hiddleston was standing right there, and I felt like people were being rude. But I would describe the entire interaction with him as patient. He must be used to the commotion, because he just kindly carried on with what he was doing until he ultimately had to leave.
The Aftermath
I was on cloud nine for about the next week after meeting him, because honestly, he was everything I'd hoped he'd be and more. I learned he really is that nice in person, and that was the best thing to come out of the whole adventure. Hiddlestoners are lucky to have such a cool guy to look up to, and I hope they continue to treat him with the respect he deserves.
Images: Martha Sorren (4)/Bustle; hiddleston-daily (2)/Tumblr
