Tom Hiddleston Says Fatherhood Is the ‘Most Important Role’ He’ll Ever Play

Angelique BrenesTue, October 13, 2026 at 11:18 PM UTC

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Tom Hiddleston attends the “Tenzing” London Gala Screening at Curzon Mayfair on Oct. 1, 2026, in London.Credit: Jo Hale/GettyThe actor reflected on raising his two children with fiancée Zawe Ashton and said he would support them if they ever wanted to follow in his footsteps -

Tom Hiddleston said becoming a father has “completely changed” his life, calling it the most important role he’ll ever play

The Loki star shares two children with fiancée Zawe Ashton, whom he met while starring in the 2019 play Betrayal

Hiddleston said he would support his children if they chose to pursue acting, adding that he ultimately wants them to be happy

Tom Hiddleston is embracing his most important role yet: being a dad.

The Loki actor, 45, opened up about how becoming a father has changed his outlook on life, revealing that raising his two children with fiancée Zawe Ashton has become his greatest source of meaning and happiness.

“Becoming a father has completely changed my life,” Hiddleston told Esquire UKin an article published on Tuesday, Oct. 13. “It’s changed the centre of meaning in my life. It’s the most important thing I’ll ever do, the most important role I’ll ever play. And to be there with them for them, alongside them. It’s... it’s... heaven.”

Hiddleston also reflected on the profound emotions that come with parenthood, saying he could not have anticipated just how deeply he would feel after becoming a dad.

Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton attend the press night after party for Jamie Lloyd Company’s “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Feb. 19, 2025, in London.Credit: Dave Benett/Getty

“I don’t think I could ever have been prepared for how your heart expands, becoming a parent,” he told the magazine. “You just feel more of everything. You feel more deeply. You feel... it’s a love like no other.”

When asked whether that heightened emotional experience is entirely a good thing, Hiddleston had a simple answer.

“Yes, because you’re just more alive,” he said.

The actor also spoke about the responsibility he feels as a father, as well as the lighter moments that come with raising his children while maintaining a busy acting career, according to Esquire UK.

Hiddleston recalled one particularly memorable trip home after filming on a mountain. After flying back and landing at 6 a.m., he went straight to the playground to spend time with his children.

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His work has also become a way to introduce his children to new subjects, Hiddleston said, noting that they know about Pompeii and Edmund Hillary, the mountaineer he portrays in Tenzing, according to Esquire UK.

And if his children eventually decide to follow in his footsteps and pursue acting, Hiddleston said he would support their decision and ultimately wants them to be happy.

Hiddleston shares his two children with Ashton, 42, an actress known for her roles in The Marvels and The Handmaid’s Tale. The couple has largely kept their relationship and family life out of the spotlight.

Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton attend the BFI Chairman’s dinnerCredit: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty

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The pair first met in 2019 while starring opposite each other in the stage production of Betrayal, in which they played a married couple. Their onstage chemistry eventually developed into a real-life relationship, and they made their red carpet debut together at the 2021 Tony Awards.

By March 2022, the couple was engaged. Hiddleston offered a rare comment about their relationship that June, telling the Los Angeles Times, “I’m very happy.”

That same year, Ashton revealed she was expecting their first child, debuting her baby bump at a special screening of her film Mr. Malcolm’s List in June. The couple welcomed their first child in October 2022.

Hiddleston later confirmed that he and Ashton had welcomed their second child in a December 2025 interview with GQ. Reflecting on the experience of birth, he described it as the “most beautiful, profound, earth-shattering, life-altering” experience.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”