"My one style rule? Try not to look like a tit," deadpans Tom Hiddleston when GQ.com asks the elegant 30 year old Brit about his sense of style. We're sitting in the well-heeled setting of London's Claridge's, discussing his role as charismatic cavalry officer Captain Nicholls in War Horse. Hiddleston has form being directed by cinematic legends - he played F. Scott Fitzgerald for Woody Allen in Midnight In Paris and a mischievous Loki for Kenneth Branagh in *Thor * - but being directed by Steven Spielberg in an equine-centric World War I drama was clearly a joy. "What he was amazing about was that Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy and I had all read Siegfried Sassoon's Memoirs Of A Fox-Hunting Man which gave us ideas for these gentleman officers,"

Hiddleston explains. "We read some of the quotes out to [Spielberg] and he said it was the most breathtakingly useful stuff. Sometimes we would pepper the scenes we were shooting with that dialogue, which he loved." Never taking himself too seriously

("City Slickers is one of the defining influences on my life") and acutely aware of the privileged position he now finds himself in ("At the premiere I was wearing an Armani tuxedo which was very generously bestowed upon me by Giorgio himself"), Hiddleston is set to have a very good 2012, particularly appearing in The Avengers alongside Robert Downey-Jr and Samuel L Jackson. Here he talks to GQ.com about rude fan art, strange *Sherlock * devotees and superhero pub etiquette....

GQ.com: What's the best thing in your wardrobe at the moment?

Tom Hiddleston: I do like my cowboy boots. They were given to me by real cowboys in California when I was learning how to ride.

Because I spent two weeks with their horses, when I left they said

[adopts western tone] "Tom we reckon you're about ready for your first pair of Ariat's. They're boots that'll see you through about 20 years if you look after 'em, 25 if you don't." These have seen all weathers.

Apparently Benedict Cumberbatch occasionally turns up on set in asymmetrical Vivienne Westwood. Did you see any evidence of his inner dandy?

No, he's like the busiest actor in the world - apart from Michael Fassbender! Maybe busier. What did Ben wear? Well, what was so funny is that he got sent a riding crop by a Sherlock fan. We didn't let him off the hook easily for that one.

You're a big fan of Judd Apatow. What's your favourite Apatow moment?

I find it hilarious in Knocked Up when they're sitting around trying to work out what Seth Rogen's character should do about this pregnancy. Jonah Hill says "You know what I think you should do?

Take care of it" and the lovely Jay Baruchel says "Tell me you don't want him to get an 'A' word." Jonah Hill replies: "I won't say it for little Baby Ears over there, but it rhymes with

'Shmashmortion.'". It made me laugh like a drain.

What's been the strangest gift you've received from a fan?

I've had some pretty interesting drawings of me in various positions. There's a bit in *Thor * where I, as Loki, try to spear

Chris Hemsworth. I miss him and the spear gets embedded in the floor, but then I use the spear as a lever to pull myself around and kick him in the chest. Some people have interpreted this as emblematic of my hidden talent at pole dancing.

They have taken to depicting this in pictoral form which they then choose to send me. It's not a riding crop but it's pretty weird.

Edgar Wright tweeted recently "I think the shot with the windmill blades in War Horse is my favourite of 2011". What's your favourite Edgar moment?

That's a good question. I do love it in Shaun Of The Dead when they go into the pub and everything gets annihilated. It's an astonishing sequence and I remember being so surprised by it.

It was the first time I'd seen a mashup of those two genres - where two slouchy guys in Crouch End meet zombie badassery. I love that.

Robert Downey-Jr and Samuel L Jackson are both teetotal. Who gets the drinks for the Avengers?

It's a dead heat between Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett mixes a mean martini. It was quite rare that we were all there [on set] - it was like a relay race - but there was one weekend where we were all together. I'll never forget the Saturday night in Albuquerque - every mobile phone of every single actor playing every single Avenger received a text message from Chris Evans that simply said "Assemble". The following text message then said "Yes I did. I'm drunk." We met at this bar on the high street and had a really fun time actually. There was a birthday party happening in the same bar and we were all on the dancefloor next to the VIP area. I remember the birthday boy celebrating with his friends... and then seeing Black Widow dancing with Captain America. His brain must have been frying in that moment...

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War Horse is out now

Click here to see Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch in an exclusive clip from War Horse

Click here to see The Avengers trailer and what we've learned

See Tom Hiddleston along with Tinie Tempah and Amir Khan in GQ's gallery of the Most Stylish Men of Milan Fashion Week