[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tomhardy_7.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:[[Film/TheDarkKnightRises A big guy]] [[MemeticMutation (UUUU)]].]]

->''"Fame and stuff like that is all very cool, but at the end of the day, we're all human beings. Although what I do is incredibly surreal and fun and amazing and I'm really grateful for it, I don't believe my own press release, do you know what I mean?"''

Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever CBE]] (born 15 September 1977 in Hammersmith) is an English actor.

Best known as Eames in ''Film/{{Inception}}'', ComicBook/{{Bane}} in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' and "Mad" Max Rockatansky in ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', and for [[DyeingForYourArt radically changing his body when needed for his roles]]. And for some reason, taking roles where the lower half of his face is covered. He has portrayed [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Eddie Brock/Venom]] in ''[[Film/Venom2018 Venom]]'' and reprised the role in ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage''.

Hardy is married to English actress Charlotte Riley, by whom he has two children. He has a third child from a previous relationship.

Not to be confused with Creator/ThomasHardy
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!! Selected roles of Tom Hardy:

* ''Film/BlackHawkDown'' (2001) as Twombly
* ''Series/BandOfBrothers'' (2001) as Private John Janovec
* ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' (2002) as Shinzon
* ''Film/LayerCake'' (2004) as Clarkie
* ''Film/{{Marie Antoinette|2006}}'' (2006) as Raumont
* ''The Virgin Queen'' (2005) as Robert Dudley
* ''Film/{{Minotaur}}'' (2006) as Theo
* ''Literature/OliverTwist'' (2007 mini-series) as Bill Sikes
* ''Film/TheKillingGene'' (2007) as Pierre Jackson
* ''Film/RockNRolla'' (2008) as Handsome Bob
* ''Film/WutheringHeights'' (2008) as Heathcliff
* ''Film/{{Bronson}}'' (2008) as Charles Bronson / Michael Peterson
* ''The Take'' (2009) as Freddie Jackson
* ''Film/{{Inception}}'' (2010) as Eames
* ''Film/TinkerTailorSoldierSpy'' (2011) as Ricki Tarr
* ''Film/{{Warrior}}'' (2011) as Tommy Conlon
* ''Film/{{This Means War|2012}}'' (2012) as Tuck
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' (2012) as ComicBook/{{Bane}}
* ''Film/{{Lawless}}'' (2012) as Forrest Bondurant
* ''Series/PeakyBlinders'' (2014 -- 2017) as Alfie Solomons
* ''Film/{{Locke}}'' (2014) as Ivan Locke
* ''Film/TheDrop'' (2015) as Bob Saginowski
* ''Film/{{Child 44}}'' (2015) as Leo Demidov
* ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'' (2015) as "Mad" Max Rockatansky
* ''Film/{{Legend|2015}}'' (2015) as [[ActingForTwo Ronald & Reginald Kray]]
* ''Film/TheRevenant'' (2015) as John Fitzgerald
* ''Series/{{Taboo}}'' (2017 -- present) as James Keziah Delaney[[note]]Also co-creator and executive producer.[[/note]]
* ''Film/{{Dunkirk}}'' (2017) as Farrier
* ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/TheLastJedi'' (2017) as First Order Stormtrooper (uncredited)
* Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse and the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse as [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Eddie Brock / Venom]]
** ''Film/{{Venom|2018}}'' (2018)
** ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage'' (2021; also given a [[WrittenByCastMember story credit]])
** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' (2021; uncredited cameo in TheStinger)
** ''Venom: The Last Dance'' (2024)
* ''Film/{{Capone}}'' (2020) as UsefulNotes/AlCapone
* ''Film/TheBikeriders'' (2023) as Johnny
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!! Tom Hardy and his works provide examples of:
* ApprovalOfGod: Creator/HughJackman has stated Hardy to be his choice to take over the part of Wolverine, which probably won't happen now that he's playing ComicBook/{{Venom}}.
* TheBigGuy: He began taking roles requiring muscular physiques after ''Film/{{Bronson}}''. In an interview for that film, he admitted that playing a muscular character who beats people up would probably be good for his career. Hence making Hardy suitable for roles like Bane, [[MemeticMutation who is a big guy]].
* CareerResurrection: He's been a hot property again since ''Film/{{Inception}}''. Then he got ''huge'' after his acclaimed performances in movies such as ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' and ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad''.
* CoolMask: It's something of a running joke among fans that each successive big Hollywood movie Hardy makes finds a different way of covering up part of his face (See ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad'', ''Film/{{Dunkirk}}'', ''Film/Venom2018'', and so on.)
* DyeingForYourArt:
** Hardy got ''[[TheBrute enormous]]'' for ''Film/{{Bronson}}'', then used that experience to land other muscle-bound roles in ''Film/{{Warrior}}'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''.
** He actually had to bulk up for ''Bronson'' twice. The first time he gained the weight, production was delayed and he had to lose all of it (and then some) for his role as a drug addict in ''Stuart: A Life Backwards''. After that film was completed, he put all of his Bronson weight back on in just five weeks.
** Also has a tendency to have his head shaved for films such as ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', ''Film/{{Bronson}}'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''.
** He also trained extensively in martial arts for a few roles such as ''Film/{{Warrior}}'' and ended up liking it so much he became a real UsefulNotes/BrazilianJiuJitsu practitioner, even winning a few contests.
* FakeAmerican: He's British, but has an "aw-shucks American accent" as [[Film/Venom2018 Eddie Brock]]. [[OohMeAccentsSlipping However, his accent tends to slip in the film]], so the end result is that [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent he speaks with a rather bizarre accent]]. He also plays American characters in other films on a fairly regular basis.
* {{Fingore}}: His pinky finger is permanently bent after he severed a tendon with a kitchen knife as a child.
* IronyAsSheIsCast: As noted, he often plays TheBigGuy, but he's joked himself about the fact he's actually rather unimpressive, height-wise, being roughly about 5'9 by his own estimation. He was notably ''shorter'' than Christian Bale when playing opposite him as Bane, requiring careful camera tricks to hide this fact.
* MethodActing: He prepared for the role of a psychopathic hyper-violent criminal and serial hostage-taker by visiting him in his cell and befriending him. He also told Bronson his [[http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0709435/ mustache looked gay]].
* OldShame:
** You're unlikely to hear him discussing ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' any time soon. With good reason, sadly -- the failure of that film, coupled with fan ire against him for things that weren't really his fault, drove him to drink and to the brink of suicide, since what was to be his big break became a near StarDerailingRole.
** He's on record stating that filming ''Film/ThisMeansWar2012'' was a miserable experience for him, and that he has no plans to ever star in another romantic comedy.
** Averted with his now infamous old Website/MySpace [[MrFanservice photos]]. When they were brought up in an interview, he stated he wasn't ashamed of them in the slightest.
* PromotedFanboy: He was a huge Batman fan growing up and stated he had trouble doing fight scenes as it felt like he was beating up his childhood hero. He has also worked three times with Creator/GaryOldman, whom he considers his hero and his main inspiration for becoming an actor.
* RomanceOnTheSet: Met his wife Charlotte Riley on the set of ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', although they didn't actually start dating until about two years later.
* StarDerailingRole: ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' was intended to be his [[StarMakingRole breakthrough role]] but it's poor critical and commercial reception seriously hurt his career for the next few years and led him to mostly do smaller roles and had such a bad emotional impact on him he struggled with addiction and suicidal feelings for years after.
* StarMakingRole: His role as the titular character in ''Film/{{Bronson}}'' gained him some notice as an actor, but his role as Eames in ''Film/{{Inception}}'' solidified that recognition.
* WrittenByCastMember: Has a "story by" credit on ''Film/VenomLetThereBeCarnage''.
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-->''[[Film/Venom2018 We... are]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightRises Gotham's reckoning.]]''