Tom Hardy has, for an actor only 15 or so years into his career, put together a top 10 list of projects that would be the lifetime envy of most. Rarely the leading man, Hardy seems most comfortable in a high-class ensemble where he can build indelible characters that steal movies. Even before he became part of the “Nolan Troupe”, joining the director for Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Dunkirk, Hardy was firmly established as a consummate character actor. Even in films like Mad Max: Fury Road, in which he’s the title character, he was content to let Charlize Theron’s Furiosa steal the movie while he provided the constant and the result was the Academy actually nominated a cool movie for Best Picture. Hardy is one of many actors that had their first high-profile role in Band of Brothers (one of the five best things ever to air on TV) along with James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and others. Hardy doesn’t stick just to films, having returned to TV for the massively underrated Peaky Blinders and beginning his own starring vehicle in FX’s Taboo. He’s a chameleon (compare skinny Band of Brothers Hardy with Bane), but at the core of all of his characters is a fierce anger that sometimes burns hot or cold, but it’s always an asset to whatever project he’s undertaking.
Tom Hardy’s Best 10
1. Inception (2010) Eames
2. Band of Brothers (2001-HBO) John A. Janovec
3. Dunkirk (2017) Farrier
4. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Bane
5. Black Hawk Down (2001) Twombly
6. Warrior (2011) Tommy Conlon
7. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Max Rockatansky
8. The Revenant (2015) John Fitzgerald
9. Peaky Blinders (2014-2017-BBC) Alfie Solomons
10. Taboo (2017-2018-FX) James Keziah Delaney
Honorable Mention: Layer Cake (2004) Clarkie
Oscars, Golden Globes & Emmys
Oscar Wins (0): None
Oscar Nominations (1): The Revenant (2016)
Golden Globe Wins (0): None
Golden Globe Nominations (0): None
Emmy Wins (0): None
Emmy Nominations (0): None
My Favorite Hardy Scene:
“Breaking the Bat” from The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Next Film: Hardy is rumored to be playing a Stormtrooper a’la Daniel Craig in Episode VII in December’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Mad Max 5: The Wasteland has been announced with Hardy set to return. More seasons of Peaky Blinders and Taboo are in the works, but the only project currently in pre-production for a 2018 release is Hardy playing the comic book baddie again, this time as Venom in Sony’s anti-hero rendition of Spider-Man’s twisted twin.
Band of Brothers is not just on the top five list BTW, it is, quite simply, the best thing that’s ever aired.
I am enamored with Hardy’s Bane. I actually think he’s one of the best screen villains of all time, and one of a very small handful of the best movie supervillains. He could have been boring in the extreme, but instead everything about him was memorable and weird, from the way he carried himself to that voice. I had a little trouble understanding the voice, but the only line that actually stumped me was “here to take back the borrowed time you’ve been living on.” Otherwise, typical Nolan, making the audience work a little.
I don’t know how the hell you do Venom without Spider-Man. I wish that movie were not happening, Venom belongs with the MCU, and Hardy in now complicit.
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Its not Hardys fault and hes still doing two tv series on top of all this. Venom is going to be an antihero with Carnage as the villain. I dont get Sony either but Hardy has earned the right to never be dismissed.
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I am not dismissing him, I just wish he were lending his talent to something that wasn’t so cynical from top to bottom. There is no chance this movie will turn out well. There just isn’t. I try to be optimistic, but in this case all paths lead to wrongness. People at Sony are already comparing the film to Cronenberg. OK, guys. I don’t know how Hardy got roped in.
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I need more Taboo now. That was a brilliant character.
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I do like Tom Hardy as an actor. My two personally favorites are his roles in both Warrior and Lawless.
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I thought Lawless was a complete letdown. Given all the other things he’s done it ended up around 17th
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