How a Hungover Day Made Tom Hiddleston Miss Out on a Role Orlando Bloom Got

While he is perhaps most recognized globally as the God of Mischief, Loki, within the Marvel Cinematic Universe—a role so popular it inspired its own Disney+ spin-off—Tom Hiddleston has expertly balanced high-octane blockbusters with quiet, arthouse indie projects.

He held his own against massive monsters in the 2017 hit Kong: Skull Island alongside Brie Larson, but he has also spent years earning critical praise in the UK for his work in social realist dramas. His collaborations with the acclaimed director Joanna Hogg on films like Archipelago and Exhibition are often cited as some of his most nuanced and impressive performances.

However, like many actors trying to find their footing in London, Hiddleston’s early career was marked by its fair share of missed opportunities and difficult auditions. One particular “near-miss” stands out because the reason he didn’t get the job was, by his own admission, entirely his own fault.

The role in question was for a massive Disney franchise, and his main competition was fellow British star Orlando Bloom. The two were both vying for the part of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a character that eventually made Bloom a household name.

In the documentary Muse of Fire, which explores how Shakespeare influences contemporary actors, Hiddleston shared a candid story about that specific audition. He explained that he had only received the script the evening before he was due to meet the casting directors.

Rather than staying in to prepare, he chose to head out for several drinks with his friends. The next day, I walked in at 10 am, very hungover, hadn’t learnt it and did it a couple of times, and the casting director was like: ‘Uh-huh, okay, okay. Well, thanks for coming in,’ Hiddleston remembered.

Unsurprisingly, the actor never heard back for a second round of auditions. While losing out on a role that would eventually lead to multiple sequels and millions of dollars might have been a crushing blow at the time, Hiddleston’s career was far from over.

He eventually found his own path to stardom, proving that a single night of poor judgment wasn’t enough to sink his long-term prospects. Still, his experience serves as a blunt reminder to any aspiring performer about the necessity of showing up prepared and focused in such a cutthroat industry.

As of this year, Hiddleston is currently enjoying one of the busiest chapters of his career. He recently returned to his roots in espionage with the long-awaited second season of The Night Manager, which premiered on Prime Video and the BBC in January.

Reprising his role as Jonathan Pine, he leads an elite cast that includes returning star Olivia Colman alongside new additions Camila Morrone and Diego Calva. The series has already been renewed for a third season, ensuring Hiddleston will be staying in the world of high-stakes intrigue for some time.

On the big screen, Hiddleston is starring in The Life of Chuck, a genre-bending adaptation of a Stephen King novella directed by Mike Flanagan. The film, which features Hiddleston as the titular Chuck Krantz, won the prestigious People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and is set for a wide theatrical release in June 2025.

Additionally, Marvel fans are eagerly awaiting his return as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for release later this year. He is also set to make a major return to the stage, starring opposite Hayley Atwell in a limited Broadway run of Much Ado About Nothing.

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