Tom Hardy

With his breakthrough performance as Eames in 'Christopher Nolan' (qv)'s sci-fi thriller _Inception (2010)_ (qv), English actor 'Tom Hardy' (qv) has been brought to the attention of mainstream audiences worldwide. However, the versatile actor has been steadily working on both stage and screen since his television debut in the miniseries _Band of Brothers (2001)_ (qv). After being cast in the World War II drama, Hardy left his studies at the prestigious Drama Centre in London and was subsequently cast as Twombly in 'Ridley Scott' (qv)'s _Black Hawk Down (2001)_ (qv) and as the villain Shinzon in _Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)_ (qv).Edward Thomas Hardy was born on September 15, 1977 in Hammersmith, London; his mother, Elizabeth Anne (Barrett), is an artist and painter, and his father, 'Chips Hardy' (qv), is a writer. He is of English and Irish descent. Hardy was brought up in East Sheen, London, and first studied at Reed's School. His education continued at Tower House School, then at Richmond Drama School, and subsequently at the Drama Centre London, along with fellow Oscar nominee 'Michael Fassbender' (qv). After winning a modeling competition at age 21, he had a brief contract with the agency Models One.Tom spent his teens and early twenties battling delinquency, alcoholism and drug addiction; after completing his work on _Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)_ (qv), he sought treatment and has also admitted that his battles with addiction ended his five-year marriage to Sarah Ward. Returning to work in 2003, Hardy was awarded the Evening Standard Most Promising Newcomer Award for his theatre performances in the productions of "In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings" and "Blood". In 2003, Tom also co-starred in the play "The Modernists" with 'Paul Popplewell' (qv), 'Jesse Spencer' (qv) and 'Orlando Wells' (qv).During the next five years, Hardy worked consistently in film, television and theatre, playing roles as varied as Robert Dudley in the BBC's _The Virgin Queen (2005)_ (qv), Bill Sikes in _Oliver Twist (2007)_ (qv) and starring in "The Man of Mode" at the National Theatre. On the silver screen, he appeared in the crime thriller _Layer Cake (2004)_ (qv) with 'Daniel Craig' (qv), 'Sofia Coppola' (qv)'s _Marie Antoinette (2006)_ (qv), and the romp _Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006)_ (qv).In 2006, Hardy created "Shotgun", an underground theatre company along with director 'Robert Delamere' (qv), and directed a play, penned by his father for the company, called "Blue on Blue". In 2007, Hardy received a best actor BAFTA nomination for his touching performance as Stuart Shorter in the BBC adaptation of 'Alexander Masters' (qv)' bestselling biography _Stuart: A Life Backwards (2007)_ (qv). Hailed for his transformative character acting, Hardy was lauded for his emotionally and physically convincing portrayal in the ill-fated and warmhearted tale of Shorter, a homeless and occasionally violent man suffering from addiction and muscular dystrophy.The following year, he appeared as gay hoodlum Handsome Bob in the 'Guy Ritchie' (qv) film _RocknRolla (2008)_ (qv), but this would be his next transformation that would prove his extensive range and stun critics. In the film _Bronson (2008)_ (qv), Hardy played the notorious Charles Bronson (given name, Michael Peterson), the "most violent prisoner in Britain". Bald, pumped-up, and outfitted with Bronson's signature strongman mustache, Hardy is unrecognizable and gives a harrowing performance that is physically fearless and psychologically unsettling. Director 'Nicolas Winding Refn' (qv) breaks the fourth wall with Hardy retelling his tales directly to viewers as well as performing them outright before an audience of his own imagining. The performance mixes terrifying brutality, vaudevillian showmanship, wry humor, and an alarming amount of commitment, and won Hardy a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor. The performance got Hollywood's attention, and in 2009, Hardy was named one of Variety's "10 Actors to Watch". That year, he continued to garner praise for his starring role in _The Take (2009)_ (qv), a four-part adaptation of 'Martina Cole' (qv)'s bestselling crime novel, as well as for his performance as Heathcliff in a version of _Wuthering Heights (2009)_ (qv).Recent work includes the aforementioned breakthrough appearance in _Inception (2010)_ (qv) alongside 'Leonardo DiCaprio' (qv), 'Joseph Gordon-Levitt' (qv), 'Cillian Murphy' (qv), 'Tom Berenger' (qv), 'Ken Watanabe' (qv), 'Michael Caine' (qv), 'Marion Cotillard' (qv) and 'Elliot Page' (qv). The movie was released in July 2010 and became one of top 25 highest grossing films of all time, collecting eight Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and winning four.Other films include _Warrior (2011)_ (qv), opposite 'Joel Edgerton' (qv), the story of two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime from director 'Gavin O'Connor' (qv), and _This Means War (2012)_ (qv), directed by 'McG' (qv) and co-starring 'Reese Witherspoon' (qv) and 'Chris Pine' (qv). Tom also starred in the heralded Cold War thriller, _Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)_ (qv) with 'Colin Firth' (qv) and 'Gary Oldman' (qv). Hardy rejoined 'Christopher Nolan' (qv) for _The Dark Knight Rises (2012)_ (qv); he played the villain role of Bane opposite 'Christian Bale' (qv), 'Anne Hathaway' (qv), 'Joseph Gordon-Levitt' (qv) and 'Gary Oldman' (qv). Hardy's menacing physique and his character's scrambled, hard-to-distinguish voice became a major discussion point as the film was released.Outside of performing, Hardy is the patron for the charity "Flack", which is an organization to aid the recovery of the homeless in Cambridge. And in 2010, Hardy was named an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust, which helps disadvantaged youth. On the recent stage, he starred in the 'Brett C. Leonard' (qv) play "The Long Red Road" in early 2010. Written for Hardy and directed by 'Philip Seymour Hoffman' (qv), the play was staged at Chicago's Goodman Theater.In 2015, Hardy starred as the iconic Mad Max in 'George Miller' (qv)'s reboot of his franchise, _Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)_ (qv). He also collected a British Independent Film Award for his portrayal of both the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, in _Legend (2015)_ (qv), and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as John Fitzgerald in _The Revenant (2015)_ (qv). Hardy also starred on the BBC series _Peaky Blinders (2013)_ (qv), alongside 'Cillian Murphy' (qv), and on the television series _Taboo (2017)_ (qv), both created by 'Steven Knight' (qv).He has an outlaw biker story among other projects in development. In 2010, Hardy became engaged to fellow English actress 'Charlotte Riley' (qv), whom he starred with in _The Take (2009)_ (qv) and _Wuthering Heights (2009)_ (qv), and is raising a young son, Louis Thomas Hardy, with ex-girlfriend 'Rachael Speed' (qv).::Pedro Borges