Why Tom Hiddleston went for an unpolished sound for Hank Williams’ ‘Honky Tonkin’

One might assume the bulk of the charm that emanates from Tom Hiddleston in just about every role he plays is owed to his British accent. Watch I Saw the Light and you”ll see that”s not so. In the new biopic, when the London-born actor steps up to the microphone and belts out the songs of country legend Hank Williams, you”ll see that he”s packed with just as much charm when he has a Southern accent.

But it”s not all winks and grins from the man who became a major influence on popular music. Williams had plenty of demons to battle, as depicted in the film. He had a turbulent marriage with his wife (one of his wives), Audrey, played in the film by fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe star Elizabeth Olsen. In the HitFix video below, Hiddleston breaks down what was going on in this relationship between two singers – one clearly more talented than the other. Hiddleston, who did all his own singing as Williams in the film, also recalls recording the song “Honky Tonkin”” and explains why he wanted his rendition of that song to not sound polished.

I Saw the Light (which takes its title from the Hank Williams song of the same name) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film begins a limited theatrical release on Friday, March 25, rolling out in more theaters on April 1.

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