One of the classic tropes that has been a part of Hollywood filmmaking for decades and decades is casting British actors to play villains opposite American heroes. It's hard to say exactly how the tradition started - perhaps its ultimately just a call-back to the days of the American Revolution? - but it's hard to deny its efficacy, as actors from the UK have given us some of the best sinister turns in the history of the medium. For their big commercial set to air during this year's Super Bowl game, the car manufacturer Jaguar has put this classic cliche in the spotlight, and has enlisted the help of stars Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong, and Tom Hiddleston to do so.
While I can't say that that I like this commercial all that much - I'm not entirely sure I fully get the link between being a villain and driving a Jaguar - whoever did the casting absolutely nailed it. Kingsley, Strong and Hiddleston don't always play villains, but one could argue that all of them are at their best when they do. I will personally always think of Kingsley in his role as Don Logan in Jonathan Glazer's Sexy Beast:
How about Strong's role antagonizing the titular hero in Sherlock Holmes?
And Hiddleston, of course, will always and forever be remembered for his run as Loki in Thor, The Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World:
This certainly won't be the last star-studded commercial we see popping online over the next week or so. Companies have been known to pull out all the stops when it comes to getting A-list talent to star in Super Bowl ads, and in recent years those spots have found their way online days early just so that corporations can be sure that they're getting their money's worth. Stay tuned here on Cinema Blend as more of them come our way.
