Already well on his way to cementing his reputation as the most charming human being to ever walk the face of the earth, it turns out Tom Hiddleston is also a very talented writer of emails. A new Joss Whedon biography reveals the correspondence between Hiddleston and Whedon, after the actor read Whedon’s first draft of The Avengers script. Business Insider has a full copy of the letter; here are some highlights:


“The first time I read it I grabbed at it like Charlie Bucket snatching for a golden ticket somewhere behind the chocolate in the wrapper of a Wonka Bar.”

“Thank you for writing me my Hans Gruber. But a Hans Gruber with super-magic powers. As played by James Mason.”

“It’s high operatic villainy alongside detached throwaway tongue-in-cheek; plus the ‘real menace’ and his closely guarded suitcase of pain. It’s grand and epic and majestic and poetic and lyrical and wicked and rich and badass and might possibly be the most gloriously fun part I’ve ever stared down the barrel of playing. It is just so juicy.”


Hiddleston ends the email by adding, “I might be biased, but I do feel as though you have written me the coolest part” before giving Whedon a “transatlantic shout-out and fist-bump, things that traditionally British actors probably don’t do.”

In addition to learning Hiddleston writes emails the way other people write novels (but with the appropriate amount of self-deprecation to maintain approachability), the world also now knows he’s a fan of both Roald Dahl and Die Hard. Whedon, naturally touched at receiving such an ode, wrote back a kind reply observing, “This is one of those emails you keep forever.“ Thankfully, the rest of the world can now keep it forever, too.