Ahead of his portrayal of legendary country singer Hank Williams in upcoming biopic I Saw The Light, Tom Hiddleston adopted his best Southern accent and surprised attendees of the Wheatland Music Festival with a brief performance of one of Williams’ most beloved singles “Move It On Over.”
The Avengers star also took to the stage once more to sing “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” alongside another famed country singer, Rodney Crowell.
Another Wheatland Music Fest pic for you @twhiddleston fans. He sang “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” w/@RodneyJCrowell: pic.twitter.com/GsGYaITX2f
— Elisabeth Waldon (@elisabethwaldon) September 7, 2014
While it’s still too early to judge if Hiddleston’s musical chops can do Hank Williams justice on screen, the British thesp has undeniably adopted a particularly gruff tenor in the above clip. (We’re just disappointed he didn’t attempt a yodel at the Michigan festival.)
Pegged for release in 2015, I Saw The Light draws inspiration from Colin Escott’s book on the Alabama singer, Hank Williams: The Biography. In essence, the adaptation will chart the meteoric rise of Williams along with his tragic demise at the hands of substance abuse, which ultimately led to his death at the age of 29.
And though Hiddleston certainly looks similar to the country star, it’ll be interesting to see how his loyal and passionate fan base take to this role. Of course, given the pedigree behind the camera and the subject matter, I Saw The Light could well be a platform upon which the actor can showcase his acting talent free from the shackles of Loki and the MCU.
I Saw The Light is set to enter production in October.