Tom Hiddleston

British actor Tom Hiddleston rose from an acclaimed stage career to international prominence with major supporting roles in a string of hit films in 2011, including "Thor," Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" and Steven Spielberg's "War Horse." His extensive theatrical training proved essential for these larger-than-life roles, which ranged from a vengeful Norse god and a legendary novelist to a courageous but doomed World War I officer. Prior to his emergence on the international scene, Hiddleston was featured largely in supporting roles on U.K. television, but in the wake of "Thor," he became an in-demand player on both sides of the Atlantic. The following year proved an even bigger jackpot, with a reprisal of his villainous "Thor" role in "The Avengers" (2012) and a starring turn as Prince Hal in PBS productions of "Henry IV" and "Henry V." More than anything else, it was his versatility and cheeky charm that minted Tom Hiddleston as certified scene stealer on the verge of worldwide stardom.