Ke Huy Quanwas thrilled to be part of theMarvel Cinematic Universe inLoki,having spent the largest part of his career working on indies — even ones that would explode into the pop culture lexicon like his Oscar-winning film,Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.As small and intimate as those sets may have felt, with their tiny budgets, they did the job, but there’s one thing none of those sets ever had. And that wasTom Hiddleston.
Speaking with Collider’sTherese Lacson, Quan admitted he couldn’t help but comparethe scale and grandeur of the MCUtoEverything, Everywhere.However, one note of surprise for the actor was the feeling of intimacy on the set — something he didn’t expect, but that came fromHiddleston, the leader of the show and the man without whom this part of the MCU may well have felt entirely deflated by now.
“It is very different withEverything Everywhere. We were just a little budget indie movie, we didn’t have the budget. So every single day was like, “Go, go, go, go go,” you know? That was that. But it was also a lot of fun. It felt like the days at film school. A bunch of very creative people get together for the love of storytelling.Now, when it comes to Marvel, it’s on a much bigger scale with a bigger crew. But one thing that I was really surprised by was that I didn’t know, as big as these Marvel projects can be, it can also feel very personal and very intimate.”
What Was Tom Hiddleston Like to Work With on ‘Loki’?
Elaborating, Quan revealed that Hiddleston would bring a speaker to the set and curate a piece of music that would fit the mood on-set for that day, and carry it with him as he entered the building as if to say he was bringing the atmosphere for the day’s work. Quan praisedHiddleston for unfailingly lifting everyone’s spirits,no matter what had gone on that day while hailing his commitment, dedication, and love of thetitular character, who may well define his entire career. He said:
“And that’s what we had withLoki, we really became a family. Every single day, Tom Hiddleston will start the day with a portable speaker, and he would choose a piece of music, and before we see him on the set, we can hear him entering the stage. And as the music gets louder and louder, when it’s at its loudest, we see him. And that piece of music that he picks for the day always lifts everybody up, wakes everybody up, and motivates all of us to do the best we can.
And I just love that. And you can feel his love for the character. He’s been playing this character for 12 years, and he still approaches it as if he’s playing it for the first time. And that passion was really inspiring. I want to be that. I learned so much from working with Tom, on how to be a great actor, a great leader, and also a great human being. I really treasure the time that we all spent together in London.”
“Oh, he’s a great DJ, by the way,” Quan added. “Every time we have those big sequences when you see the entire cast, he would always pick the piece of music that is right for that scene. Like if it’s very tense, he would pick something that will pick a piece of tense music, or if it’s likewe see the timeline being pruned, or disappearing, he would pick a very emotional piece of music to share with all of us, and he would play it while the camera was rolling to help us, so we can all be in sync with our emotions. And it was just wonderful.”
Lokiis now streaming on Disney+.
Loki, the God of Mischief, steps out of his brother’s shadow to embark on an adventure that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.”
Watch on Disney+
