Tom Hiddleston swaps suave tailoring for a gorilla suit as he gets pranked into dressing up as King Kong by Jimmy Kimmel

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He's famed as much for his suave image as he is his enormous acting talents.

But Tom Hiddleston cut a very different figure to his usual urbane self when he appeared on Tuesday night's JImmy Kimmel.

The 35-year-old actor was tricked into swapping his designer suits for a gorilla costume by the comic and his team after he was told Leonardo DiCaprio had dressed up as a bear.

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Kign of the japes! Tom Hiddleston cut a very different figure to his usual urbane self when he appeared on Tuesday night's JImmy Kimmel

As Jimmy, 49, introduced the High Rise actor, he acted in mock surprise as 'King Kong himself' arrived on the set.

Waddling towards the comedian the giant gorilla waved a film reel, before pulling a mask away to reveal Tom's grinning face.

As Jimmy continued to play along, the beaming actor announced: 'I have the never before seen trailer for Kong: Skull Island!'

Playing directly into Jimmy's hands, the actor was greeted with the reply: 'Wow thank, do you play Kong?'

Kong! The 35-year-old actor was tricked into swapping his designer suits for a gorilla costume by the comic and his team after he was told Leonardo DiCaprio had dressed up as a bear

Not quite his role: Appearing on the show to promote his latest blockbuster, Kong: Skull Island, the actor was cajoled into dressing up in a costume befitting the film franchise 

As Tom explained his character is called Captain James Conrad, an SAS captain, the comedian quipeed: 'Is He a gorilla?' To which the actor said no.

Wrinkling his face in confusion, Jimmy asked why the Night Manager star was dressed as a gorilla in that case - to which he replied the production staff had told him to.

'Well your staff, they said Leonardo DeCaprio came on the show and he dressed as the bear from The Revenant,' Tom explained, with the prank's punchline finally being revealed.

Are you Kong? Playing directly into Jimmy's hands, the actor was greeted with the reply: 'Wow thank, do you play Kong?'

Not quite: As Tom explained his character is called Captain James Conrad, an SAS captain, the comedian quipeed: 'Is He a gorilla?' To which the actor said no.

Oh dear: 'Well your staff, they said Leonardo DeCaprio came on the show and he dressed as the bear from The Revenant,' Tom explained, with the prank's punchline finally being revealed

Sealing the deal on the tom foolery, Jimmy said: 'Oh... he's err... never been on the show.' 

Taking the whole prank skit in his stride, Tom showcased his well-known sense of humour as he sat down to talk all things Kong with the chat show host.

Tom's outing on the show came as the latest Skull Island trailer, a dark, brooding and downright scary affair, was released. 

The brand new clip, released on Wednesday night, opened to Creedence Clearwater Revival's Bad Moon Rising, which set a very different tone.

Pranked! Sealing the deal on the tom foolery, Jimmy said: 'Oh... he's err... never been on the show' 

The King: Fans goth their first clear look at the Kong in the new trailer for Skull Island released on Wednesday

'These are photos of an island in the South Pacific... the place where myth and science meet,' a voiceover tells a room full of military, including a skeptical-looking Samuel L Jackson.

Straight Outta Compton's Corey Hawkins - playing a nerdy scientist type - then explains the the crowd they will 'use explosives to shake the earth and map the island.'

'You're dropping bombs?' an impossibly handsome and rather buff Tom Hiddleston chimes in.

Non-believer: 'These are photos of an island in the South Pacific... the place where myth and science meet,' a voiceover tells a room full of military, including a skeptical-looking Samuel L Jackson

Loking good: impossibly handsome and rather buff Tom Hiddleston chimes into the conversation

Bomb it: Straight Outta Compton's Corey Hawkins - playing a nerdy scientist type - then explains the the crowd they will 'use explosives to shake the earth and map the island.'

'Scientific instruments,' Hawkins grins back.

As the military helicopters approach the island, one of the pilots asks: 'Is that a monkey?'

Creedence get as far as 'I see trouble on the way' - which comes in the form of a flying palm tree, destroying the chopper and sending it plummeting to earth.

Stupid question: As the military helicopters approach the island, one of the pilots asks: 'Is that a monkey?'

Ouch: Creedence get as far as 'I see trouble on the way' - which comes in the form of a flying palm tree, destroying the chopper and sending it plummeting to earth

Get off of my cloud: Then all hell breaks loose and audiences get their first full look at Kong, as he furiously swats the helicopters out of the sky

Then all hell breaks loose and audiences get their first full look at Kong, as he furiously swats the helicopters out of the sky.

 'You knew that thing was out there?' a disgusted Sam Jackson is then heard rhetorically asking John Goodman while leveling a gun at him.

'I'm sorry for your men colonel,' he replies, 'but if you want to make this sacrifice worthwhile, get us home with proof — Monsters exist.'

Love interest: Tom and Brie Larson have a few stare at each other moments in the trailer

On to you: 'You knew that thing was out there?' a disgusted Sam Jackson is then heard rhetorically asking John Goodman while leveling a gun at him.

Sorry not sorry: 'I'm sorry for your men colonel,' he replies, 'but if you want to make this sacrifice worthwhile, get us home with proof — Monsters exist.'

As the tension rebuilds to a standoff between the Hiddlestone's invaders and some spear armed natives, it is just as quickly dispersed by a bearded John C Reilly.

 'Wow wow wow!' he shouts jogging between them. 'Your friend there can put that down!'

Reilly - who appears to have crashed on the island a long time prior, explains the island's hierarchy. 

Comic releief: As the tension rebuilds to a standoff between the Hiddlestone's invaders and some spear armed natives, it is just as quickly dispersed by a bearded John C Reilly

We're all friends: 'Wow wow wow!' he shouts jogging between them. 'Your friend there can put that down!'

Break it down: Reilly - who appears to have crashed on the island a long time prior, explains the island's hierarchy to the crew

'That's Kong. He's king around here,' he tells the crew, which includes photographer Brie Larson.

'Kong's a pretty good king, keeps to himself mostly. But you don't go into someone's house and start dropping bombs unless you're picking a fight.

'Kong is god on the island, but the devils live below us.'

Boss: 'That's Kong. He's king around here. Kong's a pretty good king, keeps to himself mostly. But you don't go into someone's house and start dropping bombs unless you're picking a fight

Eww! Some of the other gigantic creatures that make up the island's ecosystem make appearance, including an enormous spider

Big game: Tom and co also run into a gigantic water buffalo

'And what are they called?' Hiddleston perplexingly asks, setting up the gag. 

 'I call em Skull-Crawlers,' Reilly replies. 'Why?' Tom asks.

'... I never said that name out loud before, it sounds stupid now that I say it. Just you call em whatever you want.'

The Skull Crawlers - hideous reptilian-looking creatures - then make them selves known, as do some of the other gigantic creatures that make up the island's ecosystem, including enormous spiders and water buffalo. 

Bad guys: 'Kong is god on the island, but the devils live below us,' Reilly reveals

Relative? Kong apparently wasn't always the only great ape on the island

Nasty: The so-called Skull Crawlers reveal themselves to be hideous reptilian-looking creatures

'This is a good group of boys... we're gonna die together out here!' Reilly concludes laughing. 'You shouldn't have come here!'

Kong: Skull Island swings into theatres on March 10.

The film takes place in the same universe as 2014's Godzilla, with the two movie monsters set to share a billing in a 2020 crossover. 

Production company Legendary still has to overcome the logistical problem of the size difference between them, with Godzilla approximately seven times bigger 

Next year: Kong: Skull Island swings into theatres on March 10

Fight of the century: The film takes place in the same universe as 2014's Godzilla, with the two movie monsters set to share a billing in a 2020 crossover