To Beard or Not To Beard?
And if that is the question, never fear, because the T Hiddy Committee is here to answer it as existentially as the Prince of Denmark!
Jamie: I didn’t realize how much I didn’t enjoy him bearded until I was disappointed when I saw him at the premiere. Skull Island levels of casual scruffiness are enjoyable for me, and clean shaven is my fave. Maybe because the first thing I ever saw him in was Thor, so that’s how I became fond of him.
Lorena: Oh, I definitely knew how little I liked his beard from the Hollow Crown days. I just think a beard looks a little trashy on him? It vibes super creeper to me, and I’m not positive why because typically I dig a beard. Maybe it’s his face shape? My lack of exposure to it? Not sure. I think he looks very nice clean shaven… but the scene (the ONLY scene) in Skull Island with his bearded look was SO HOT to me. I had to rewind to revisit that scene after the film was over…and I watched on a flight. #shameless 
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Lorena: OMG. Seeing this photo, I think I’ve figured it out. It’s not his beard, it’s his hair. The slicked back “done up” hair of the premiere vs. the casual hair of this scene is the difference for me. I don’t like slicked back hair.
Jamie: Ooooo, that’s a very solid theory! Now that you point it out, I’m inclined to agree.
For A Role?
Jamie: Is this new beard for a role, or is this a voluntary look? I would think one of the more tedious things about being an actor is not really being able to have your look to your personal taste.
Lorena: I’m not sure… he did sport one for RADA’s Hamlet, but his last beard I remember was for Hollow Crown, so maybe? And I feel ya… I’m sure Henry Cavill was pretty much over that mustache he had to sport for Mission Impossible 6. source
Jamie: Let us never speak of Henry’s mustache (more than we already have, which is a lot). Maybe Tom doesn’t like a beard either but he has to live with it for the time being. Like when Natalie Portman shaved her head for V for Vendetta and had to let it all grow back in. That couldn’t have been fun.
Lorena: I feel like many female actors have this “want to shave my head” moment. I can’t understand it, but a lot of people do it. Emma Watson explained that she wanted a totally drastic change after not being allowed to change her hair for all of Harry Potter years. Which makes sense, I guess. But… I just think I’d look super weird with a shaved head? Maybe that’s it. But back to Tom…
Glasses and Beard?
Jamie: I will say that in some of the interviews I saw he was wearing glasses and I thought it was an overall better look. Do the glasses on the top half of the face help balance the beard on the bottom half of the face? I think that’s it. Although I’ve always thought glasses were good on him, even when he’s de-bearded. We need a double blind study…
Lorena: I didn’t really watch the interviews, so maybe I need to do that. Also, it *could* be the super intense professional photographer lighting that makes it look weird, because a friend of a friend was on the red carpet and got a photo with him, and he looked basically exactly like Tom (if that makes any sense). Like I didn’t even notice he had a beard.
Jamie: It sounds like we definitely need this study.
Lorena: Yes, I agree. For science…
Jamie: For science.
Lorena: Do you remember that one short video from 2015 about “fall in love with Tom Hiddleston in 20 seconds or less”? That’s where he was first entirely magnificent in glasses, de-bearded. And that chambray button down. OMG. Can it be 2015 again? (pro tip: the end is the best part of the video)
Jamie: Ahh 2015. A simpler time…
It looks like we have influencing powers, because as we were going back and forth with our discussion this photo came out…
The T Hiddy Committee will be seeing Thor: Ragnarok together this weekend (of course), and if the reviews are any indication, we’re going to love it! Go see it, we all need some joy.
Header image source: Getty / Alberto E. Rodriguez
