- Director
Kate Herron spoke to Insider about working withTom Hiddleston on the new show "Loki ." - Herron said the actor's insightful "lectures" about the character were useful to the cast and crew.
- "I think it just brought everyone together," she said.
"Loki" director Kate Herron said that star Tom Hiddleston's "lectures" on the titular character led to bonding between the cast and crew.
"It was like a classroom," Herron recalled during an interview with Insider on Tuesday. "I remember we all filtered in and we sat down and we had a screen at the front of the room and he had clips ready. It was honestly like a Cambridge lecture. I was very, very impressed."
Both Herron and Agent Mobius actor Owen Wilson have previously spoken about Hiddleston passing on his knowledge of Loki to his coworkers in order to get them up to speed.
Herron told Insider that Hiddleston, who also serves as an executive producer on "Loki," gave one lecture to the crew. When Wilson found out, he also requested the lecture, which was fitting considering that his character is an expert on Loki's life.
Herron was a big fan of the God of Mischief prior to signing on to direct the six-episode first season of "Loki," but she learned new things from Hiddleston.
One of her major takeaways was Hiddleston's interpretation of Loki's signature gold horns.
"He always felt that Loki wears the horns when he's feeling his most powerful or most in control, and I just thought that was really interesting," she said.
Herron said that the lessons from Hiddleston, who has been playing the comic-book character since 2011's "Thor," showed how passionate the British actor is about Loki.
"I think the main thing I got from it, which is not a surprise to anyone that already follows Tom's work, is just, he really loves Loki," she said, calling the actor an important "creative ally" during production. "It was great to have him as a Loki encyclopedia."
Herron said that Hiddleston's genuine adoration for his
"I think it just brought everyone together, really, and kind of helped us know what we were paying respect to, but also just sparked new creativity and new ideas," Herron added of the lectures.
Herron's first introduction to Marvel came from the animated '90s "X-Men" show. Since then, she's watched Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige "build this amazing cinematic universe."
"I love Loki," she said. "I love so many of the comic runs with his character as well. And I've just really enjoyed watching what Tom has done with the character and seeing him come to life through him."
When Herron learned that Loki was getting a standalone series, she was determined to "at least try and be part of the conversation." So she rewatched Marvel movies to make her 60-page pitch to the studio as thorough as possible.
"I think the thing that always blows my mind is that Loki hasn't had much screen time, really, in the grander scheme of things," the director said. "I think it's roughly 79 minutes and I think that's so incredible that he's this really beloved character. And getting six hours of him obviously is such a treat."
Herron, who described the series as a "big love letter to sci-fi," said that her own passion for the show resulted in some nerves when it came time to offer Wilson the role of the Time Variance Authority's agent.
The director said that correctly casting Mobius was integral to the show because the character's scenes with Loki often play out like a "chess match," as seen in the first episode.
When casting director Sarah Finn suggested Wilson, Herron was immediately responsive to the idea because she's "a massive fan of his work."
"I honestly think the reason I wanted to make films in the first place is because of him and his work with Wes Anderson," she said. "I love 'The Royal Tenenbaums' and 'Bottle Rocket' and his work as a writer."
Herron said that there was "a lot of pressure" riding on her phone call with the actor because the team was keen on casting him.
"I remember my heart was beating very fast when I had to call him because he's like one of my heroes," Herron said. "But he's Owen Wilson. He's lovely and very charming and it was just really fun talking to him."
"I think the thing that made me so excited is he said, 'I want to do something really outside of myself and challenge myself in a different way.' And I thought, 'I want to be part of that,'" she recalled.
By the end of the phone call, Wilson agreed to play the character.
"It was just nothing but a joy working with him," Herron said. "It was everything I hoped it would have been."
Episode one of "Loki" is now streaming on Disney Plus.