Actor Tom Hardy, renowned for his role in 'MobLand', conquered substance abuse to ascend as a formidable force in Hollywood.
Crashtalkin' with Tom Hardy on His Rough Ride to Stardom
Tom Hardy, along with his co-star Paddy Considine, spills the beans on the ins and outs of working with Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan on the Paramount+ series "MobLand."
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Tom Hardy, got his break on the big screen with his role in "Black Hawk Down" back in 2001, but his road to fame wasn't always a smooth ride. Born in London, the 47-year-old acting powerhouse – best known for shows like "Peaky Blinders," "Venom," "Inception," "Mad Max: Fury Road" – has had his fair share of battles, from battling addiction to dealing with on-set feuds.
From a young age, Hardy faced a tsunami of challenges. Growing up in London, the youngster often found himself at odds with the law, and before he knew it, he was hooked on alcohol and crack.
The so-called bullet inside of me, Hardy told Britain's The Mirror in 2014, I'm indiscriminate with it. If I had four pints of lager and half a bottle of vodka, I could turn this room into an absolute f-ing nightmare in about three minutes. I could destroy everything in my life I've worked so hard for.
Hardy checked himself into rehab after wrapping "Star Trek: Nemesis" in 2002. I didn't want anyone to know I was out of control, he admitted to The Mirror, but I couldn't hide it.
Things went south for Hardy, and one fateful night, he woke up in a pool of his own blood and vomit. Sometimes you have to lose something. Sometimes you have to lose something that's worth more to you than your drinking, he said, pointing out a crucial moment that finally made him seek help.
Despite the challenging journey, Hardy used his past experiences to propel him forward. Talking about his role in the 2011 film "Warrior," where he plays the son of an alcoholic boxer, Hardy said, In the [alcohol abuse] scenes with Nick Nolte, if you've been there, you know what's right or wrong and how to react.
Hardy, clean since 2003, isn't afraid of playing the bad guy. I play a lot of scary characters he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, and there are probably a few reasons why. First, villains are much more interesting than hero leads, who are, for the most part, really boring. Another part of it is when I was younger, I remember being scared a lot.
On-set, however, Hardy has occasionally earned a reputation as a tough nut to crack. During the filming of "Mad Max: Fury Road," he reportedly had a heated exchange with Charlize Theron. An excerpt from the book "Blood, Sweat & Chrome" claims that Hardy arrived late to set, causing Theron to explode in a rage, calling Hardy "disrespectful." Things apparently got so heated that Theron threatened to fine Hardy for every minute he kept the crew waiting. Yikes!
Fast forward to today, and Hardy's most important role is being a dad to his three children. There is no harder and more important job on the planet than parenting, he told Esquire in 2018, You've got the military, police, doctors, service personnel - massive respect, huge consequences - but parenting? It's beyond a job, isn't it. Well said, Tom!
Christina Dugan Ramirez is a pop culture scribe for our digital platform.
- Tom Hardy's journey to stardom probably involved navigating through entertainment's rough waters, considering his past battles with addiction and on-set feuds.
- Although he plays intimidating characters, Tom Hardy finds villain roles more interesting, as he grew up being scared a lot.
- As a dad to three children, Tom Hardy considers parenting as the hardest and most important job, surpassing other challenging careers like the military, police, doctors, and service personnel.
- Being a clean individual since 2003, Hardy might have shed some light on his alcohol abuse struggles during the filming of "Warrior," helping to portray authenticity in his portrayal of an alcoholic boxer's son.
