1. He's too young


2. It is Highly Unprofessional


3. He's too young


4. It is HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL


5. The spork to eye ratio is quite likely


6. IT IS HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL


7. He is too young


8. etc etc etc whatever

Who is Tom Is Tom Hardy?

At first glance, he looks more like an IT guy who works out a lot. He even has the perfect name for a game show host. If you look a little deeper you’ll see he’s a 33yr old actor from Hammersmith. Dig around a little more and you might actually recognize him.

According to IMDB he made his feature debut in 2001 with a bit part in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Dawn. You may have recognized Hardy in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla when Hardy played Handsome Rob, the ladies man/tough guy with a secret. That may trigger memories of his small role in Lawyer Cake. He also appeared in last year’s blockbuster Inception. Hardy’s excellent supporting work as Eames was one of the puzzle pieces that made Inception work.

It started to see Hardy’s face everywhere. Was he just the latest actor we love to see in movies? Was he the latest import in Hollywood> America has an ongoing obsession with great actors from across the pond. Christian Bale is the best Batman we’ve had yet, Daniel Crag has taken over as Bond, Orlando Bloom fought Pirates and Orcs for years, Idris Elba continues to amaze audiences, Ralph Fiennes continues to be Ralph Fiennes, Colin Firth gives Oscar performances, even Professor X and Magneto are played by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen

Tom, for his part, works on his craft. By 2010, he passed the “Oh I didn’t know he was in this movie” test when you’re excited to see him onscreen. Part of me wondered if he the gene that all great actors have – that gene that allows them to carry movies. I’m not talking about delivering lines off a script. I’m talking about that extra “glow” actors have that won’t allow you to look away from the screen. In today’s short attention span society, an actor having that charisma is needed. Could audiences watch Hardy onscreen for two hours without wanting to look away?

My biggest fear was Tom Hardy being dropped into some poorly written Rom-Coms and never being seen again……………………then I saw Bronson.

In 2009, Hardy starred in a gritty tale of a prisoner with the nickname Charles Bronson. Bronson tells the story of Michael Peterson, a man who spends 30 years in solitary confinement during his time in prison. During that time he’s adopted the alter ego Charlie Bronson.

What stood out in this film was not how good the movie was, but the compelling performance that Tom Hardy gave. I almost didn’t recognize the guy I’d previously seen in movies the past four years. He played a hard-nosed, sometimes psychotic, inmate and also was able to deliver very theatrical narrations on stage with so much grace. It was like watching an actor who’s ambidextrous. I cannot overstate how outstanding his performance was. Tom Hardy passed the not looking away test with flying colors. He’s becoming the actor I wish more people knew about.

For those who don’t’ know, you’ll be seeing Tom Hardy very soon in the following:

Warrior: He plays a mixed martial artist in this drama about two brothers who meet in the octagon.
The Wettest Country in the World: Hardy acts alongside Shia Labeouf, Gary Oldman, and Guy Pearce in this crime drama about bootleggers in the American South.
The Dark Knight Rises: He plays Bane. Enough said.
Mad Max: He’ll play the lead role in the new version of 1979 classic Mad Max.

The argument against Tom Hardy: We haven’t seen enough of him. I’d say I haven’t seen a lot of him, but, the more I see him, the more I like him. He’s been fantastic in every movie I’ve seen him in. There are a handful of working actors I can say that about right now. Who’s Tom Hardy? The short answer, he’s one of the most versatile young actors in Hollywood today. Get to know him.