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    11 "Loki" Cast Members In Their First Major Role Vs. On The Show Vs. In Real Life

    Where does the time go?

    Jen Abidor
    by Jen Abidor

    BuzzFeed Staff

    🚨Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead for the Loki Season 1 Finale.🚨

    1. Tom Hiddleston's first role in 2001:

    Tom wearing a top hat
    Company Pictures

    Tom's first-ever acting project was a role as a Lord in the TV movie The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby. In his early career he also had roles in Conspiracy, The Gathering Storm, Wallander, and Casualty. He also acted in several plays, included Othello in 2008 opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor.

    Tom Hiddleston as Loki on Loki:

    Marvel

    Tom's big break was when he landed the role of Loki in Thor (2011). He was brought in to audition by Kenneth Branagh, who had previously worked with him. Since then, he's appeared in The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019) in the MCU. He has also starred in non-Marvel projects like I Saw The Light, Kong: Skull Island, and The Night Manager, for which he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy. 

    Tom Hiddleston in real life:

    Tom wearing a suit at a red carpet event
    John Phillips / Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK

    Next up, you can hear Tom in the first episode of Disney+'s animated series What If...?, premiering on August 11. He'll also star in the Apple TV+ mini series The Essex Serpent as Will Ransome. 

    2. Owen Wilson's first role in 1996:

    Owen rocking a buzzed haircut
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    Owen Wilson's first big role was in Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket in 1996. What followed, of course, was a massive movie career — Owen starred in everything from Zoolander  to The Royal Tenenbaums to Cars to Wedding Crashers to Starsky & Hutch. And that's just to name a few!

    Owen Wilson as Mobius in Loki:

    Marvel

    Loki marks Owen's first appearance in the MCU. He told Screen Rant that he was unfamiliar with the MCU before taking the role. "It was really right before we started filming when I met with Tom Hiddleston, and he walked me through a lot of the mythology and explaining Loki's full story," he said.

    Owen Wilson in real life:

    Lionel Hahn / Getty Images

    While they're not MCU projects, Owen has a lot of movies coming up. He'll appear in Marry Me, Paint, Secret Headquarters, and Shanghai Dawn. 

    3. Gugu Mbatha-Raw's early roles in 2007 and 2013:

    BBC/Everrett Collection

    Gugu's early career included many TV appearances on shows like Holby City, MI-5, Bad Girls, Marple, and Doctor Who (pictured on top above). She played Juliet in a 2005 production of Romeo and Juliet opposite Andrew Garfield and in 2008 starred as Ophelia in Hamlet opposite Jude Law on London's West End. That lead to TV roles in Undercovers and Touch as well as a role in Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks. Prior to joining the MCU Gugu's big break was the 2013 movie Belle (pictured on bottom above). She has since starred in many movies and TV shows, including Beyond the Lights, Beauty and the Beast, Black Mirror, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Morning Show. 

    Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer in Loki:

    Marvel

    Loki marks Gugu's first MCU project. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she described Ravonna as a complicated character. "There’s a lot of secrets. There’s betrayal. There’s lots of layers of Renslayer to come,” she said.

    Gugu Mbatha-Raw now:

    Gugu on the BAFTA red carpet in a sequined gown
    Jeff Spicer / Getty Images

    Gugu will appear in the movie Seacole and the HBO Max and BBC mini-series The Girl Before opposite David Oyelowo and Ben Hardy. 

    4. Wunmi Mosaku's early role in 2013:

    Starz! Movie Channel / Courtesy Everett Collection

    Wunmi's early roles include the 2009 mini-series Moses Jones and the ITV series Vera as well as the BBC series Dancing on the Edge (pictured above). More recently, she's been in Luther, Netflix's The End of the F****ing World, HBO's Lovecraft Country, and the 2020 movie His House, among many other roles. 

    Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15 in Loki:

    Marvel Studios / Courtesy of Marvel Studios

    Wunmi's appearance as Hunter B-15 in Loki is her first MCU role, which she called a "glorious welcome into the Marvel universe" on Instagram. She told The Hollywood Reporter how much fun she had in the role of B-15. "I absolutely love it. I get to play mean; I get to argue and fight with my friend," she said of Tom Hiddleston.

    Wunmi Mosaku in real life:

    5. Sophia Di Martino's early role in 2006:

    BBC One

    Sophia got her start on British television with roles on shows like Holby City, The Royal Today, and Casualty as Polly Emmerson (pictured above). She also appeared in the 2019 movie, Yesterday. 

    Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie in Loki:

    Marvel Studios / Courtesy of Marvel Studios

    Playing Sylvie in Loki is a big break role for Sophia (and her first Marvel role), and...uhhhhhh, I'd say her character has already made a MASSIVE impact, huh? Sophia told EW she had no idea she was auditioning for Loki when she tried out for the part. "I didn't know what the role was, I didn't know what the show was, I didn't know anything," she said. 

    Sophia Di Martino in real life:

    John Phillips / Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK

    Up next for Sophia? A few shorts as well as the TV movie Girls Code and the film The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. 

    6. Richard E. Grant's earlier roles:

    Screenbound International Pictures / PolyGram Filmed Entertainmen/ Courtesy Everett Collection

    Richard E. Grant has had a long career in film and TV spanning over 30 years. One of his earliest roles was in the film Killing Dad or How to Love Your Mother in 1989 (pictured on the top above). He's also appeared in movies like Spice World (pictured on the bottom above), The Iron Lady, Logan, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In 2018, his portrayal of Jack Hock in Can You Ever Forgive Me? landed him Best Supporting Actor nominations at the Academy Awards, SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs.

    Richard E. Grant as Classic Loki in Loki:

    Marvel

    Richard's brief (but powerful!) appearance as Classic Loki was his first appearance in the MCU. In an interview with Variety, he said he's been following Tom Hiddleston's career since seeing him perform in Othello. "I met him backstage and I said, 'You are so extraordinarily talented, you're going to have an enormous career. I can't wait to watch and see what you do.' And indeed, he has." The two had even joked in the past that they could play "father and son" in something.

    Richard E. Grant IRL:

    Jeff Spicer / Getty Images

    Next year, Richard will star in the new Persuasion adaptation starring Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding. He will also appear in The Guinea Pig Club and the TV show The Offenders.

    7. Jack Veal's early role in 2017:

    Jack sitting at a table in front of a sandwich with his head in his hand
    Netflix

    If you're a fan of Netflix's The End of the F***ing World (which also starred Jack's Loki costar, Wunmi Mosaku) you might have noticed that Jack played Little James. 

    Jack Veal as Kid Loki in Loki:

    Marvel Studios / Courtesy of Marvel Studios

    Jack's small-but-mighty performance as Kid Loki was his first appearance in the MCU — but hopefully not the last. *cough* Young Avengers *cough*????

    Jack Veal IRL:

    8. DeObia Oparei's early roles:

    HBO

    DeObia's first-ever film role was in Alien 3 as Arthur (pictured on the top above). He has also appeared in films such as Moulin Rouge!, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Dumbo, to name a few. Game of Thrones fans will also definitely remember his arc in Seasons 5 and 6 as Areo Hotah (pictured on the bottom above). Or if Netflix's Sex Education is more your thing, he played Eric's dad, Mr. Effiong, on the show — that also marked the first time he worked with Loki director, Kate Herron. 

    DeObia Oparei as Boastful Loki in Loki:

    Marvel Studios / Courtesy of Marvel Studios

    As his first appearance in the MCU, DeObia portrayed Boastful Loki. DeObia has shared so many wonderful pictures and videos from behind the scenes of the show. Like many of the actors on the show, DeObia reflected on the fact that he knew very little about the plot initially. "When I auditioned for it, the role was called something else so I had no idea what it was," he told Comic Book Movie. "I think it was a fitting when I arrived in Atlanta from London. Then, I heard the name ‘Boastful Loki’ and was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re kidding me!’ That was a trip. So, I’m a version of Tom Hiddleston? Alright! I’ve got the booty. I can pull it off.'"

    DeObia Oparei IRL:

    9. Cailey Fleming's first role in 2015:

    Lucasfilm

    Cailey is already absolutely thriving at playing the younger version of characters. Her first big role was playing Young Rey in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens in 2015 — she later reprised the role in The Rise of Skywalker. 

    Cailey Fleming as Young Sylvie in Loki:

    Marvel

    On Loki, Cailey had a short but super memorable and emotional appearance as Young Sylvie, marking her MCU debut.

    Cailey Fleming IRL:

    10. Jonathan Majors' early role in 2017:

    Eike Schroter / Walt Disney Television via Getty Images

    Jonathan's first role was in Much Ado About Nothing in 2013. Then, in 2017 he appeared on the ABC docudrama mini-series, When We Rise (pictured above). More recently, he's starred in major movie projects like The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Da 5 Bloods and starred as Atticus on HBO's Lovecraft Country, for which he recently got an Emmy Nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Drama Series. 

    Jonathan Majors as He Who Remains in Loki:

    He Who Remains speaking to Loki and Sylvie at the Citadel
    Marvel

    UMMMMMMMMM, is anyone else still freaking out about Jonathan Majors' epic entry into the MCU? We knew he'd be playing Kang the Conquerer in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but THAT entrance was totally unexpected. (Well, unless you've been reading my colleague Nora Dominick's excellent Easter eggs posts...). Honestly, so excited and freaking out about what this MEANS and he was so great in the role already.

    Jonathan Majors IRL:

    The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images

    So, yeah, basically we're about to see a whole lot more of Jonathan in the MCU as Kang which is WONDERFUL news. But, according to Deadline, he's also in talks to star in Creed III opposite Michael B. Jordan, which is super exciting...especially now that they're both in the MCU. 

    11. And Tara Strong's iconic roles as the voice of Timmy Turner and Bubbles:

    Everett Collection/Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network

    If you've watching anything animated, there's a really strong chance you've heard Tara Strong's excellent voice work. Seriously, it just took me SEVERAL minutes to scroll to the start of her IMDb page. Some notable voices? Bubbles in Powerpuff Girls, Timmy Turner in The Fairly OddParents, Dil Pickles in Rugrats, and Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in Batman: The Killing Joke. 

    Tara Strong as the voice of Miss Minutes in Loki:

    Miss Minutes
    Disney+

    Miss Minutes was absolutely HAUNTING. (The TRUE villain of Loki??? Lol tbh, she might be.) And that's all thanks to Tara's excellent work in the role. At this point, it won't surprise you to learn that Tara hardly knew anything about Miss Minutes. She had to ask her agent to call production to find out more, like, "Who is she? Is she sentient? Is she like an Alexa? Who is this character?" she told Screen Rant.

    Tara Strong IRL:

    Twitter / Via Twitter: @tarastrong

    I'm terrified to have Miss Minutes back for Loki Season 2, but Tara voices her so well that I still hope it happens. Until then, you can truly catch her in SO many animated projects, including the upcoming Goblins Animated TV series. 

    And here's a pic of Alligator Loki just because I needed him here too:

    Alligator Loki
    Marvel Studios / Courtesy of Marvel Studios

    Oddly, I couldn't track down his first role, but I just KNOW he's going to be a star. Later, gators!