'Loki' star Tom Hiddleston recalls 'painful but transformative' moment before fame

Tom Hiddleston is opening up about his personal growth and the lessons he has learned over the years.

In a recent chat with British GQ, the 44-year-old actor reflected on how old patterns was keeping him away from stardom and shifting his mindset led him to where he is today.

“When I was a young man, I was constantly doing what I've been told to do. I got myself twisted in all kinds of knots, both personally and professionally,” he recalled.

The Loki star revealed that he came across a turning point in life years before his Golden Globe-winning role in The Night Manager when he eventually decided to take control of his life, "I was like: Tom, get a grip, go towards what interests you and motivates you. Get rid of people who don't make you feel good, who embarrass you or make you do things you don't want to do. Try not to be such a people pleaser and see where you end up.”

After facing multiple audition rejections, he faced difficult emotions. He noted, “The confrontation was really challenging and painful, but transformative.”

Hiddlestone further shared how he adjusted to fame in the age of social media, “I'm really grateful for that scrutiny in some way because it generated inside me a real self-discipline and rigour to [accept that] everyone's entitled to their opinion," he shared.

The actor added, “You have to be really disciplined about your own opinion of yourself… That will keep you safe in the choppy waters.”