People's Choice Awards Cut to Tom Hiddleston During Taylor Swift Joke

Tom Hiddleston got a quiet shout-out as a famous ex of Taylor Swift's at the People's Choice Awards -- but the dude took it in stride and was all smiles ... which kinda speaks volumes.

The actor was among many famous faces on hand Sunday during the broadcast -- and while host Simu Liu was making a Swifite joke ... the cameras cut to Tom right at the tail end of it, but he wasn't a sourpuss about it. If anything, he was quite the good sport!

Here's what happened ... Simu was doing his monologue, and at one point in his remarks -- he shouted a movie this year about a blonde who got everyone to dress up and dance.

No, he wasn't referring to "Barbie" -- as he jokingly noted, it was the "Eras" tour movie.

That got a big laugh, especially as Simu continued to lean into the fact that he was a Swiftie before he was ever cast in "Barbie" ... and while he was finishing his gag, Tom's face popped up on the screen -- seemingly without his knowledge, but it certainly felt like a choice.

We'll admit, if producers just wanted to show him for his connection to Taylor -- they briefly dated in the summer of 2016 -- it didn't really make sense, especially in the context of what was being said. Simu was talking about her "1989" album, which TH has nothing to do with.

Again, though ... the homeboy wasn't weird about it either. That's probably because his little fling with Taylor is one of a few relationships of hers that ended somewhat amicably ... so he can be in a room with Taylor's name being thrown and not be bent out of shape.