Laurence Olivier Awards 2008 - Best Newcomer winner Tom Hiddleston

Tom Hiddleston declared 2008’s Best Newcomer in a Play

First Published 17 April 2008, Last Updated 13 August 2008

Tom Hiddleston has been awarded the 2008 Best Newcomer in a Play Laurence Olivier Award. He received two nominations in the category for his roles in Othello at the Donmar Warehouse and for Cymbeline at the Barbican–the latter winning him the award. Nominated alongside Hiddleston were Stephen Wight for Dealer’s Choice at Trafalgar Studios 1 and David Dawson for The Life And Times of Nicholas Nickleby at the Gielgud.

Cymbeline, one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, tells the story of stolen sons, a banished son-in-law and a wicked stepmother. Hiddleston performed the role of Posthumus, who secretly marries the King’s daughter Imogen before being tricked into thinking she has been unfaithful. Produced by Cheek By Jowl, this was Hiddleston’s second experience working for the company after performing in their touring production of The Changeling, for which he received an Ian Charleson Award nomination.

After schooling at Eton, Hiddleston completed an English degree at Cambridge before attending RADA, from which he graduated in 2005. He made his London stage debut in Yorgjin Oxo: The Man at Theatre503 in 2005, before appearing in The Changeling in 2006. His second nomination in this category was for his performance in the role of Cassio opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Othello, for which he earned great critical acclaim. Hiddleston’s 2007 also saw him star in the award-winning film Unrelated, written by Joanna Hogg.

CM

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