The actor Christopher Nolan compared to Marlon Brando: “Just the right tools”
Ever since he permanently changed the face of screen acting, at least one actor has emerged with each passing generation who earns comparisons to Marlon Brando, for better or worse.
While few have or will ever be able to replicate the impact of the legendary method man on his profession, some have lived up to the billing better than others. It’s not that they’re doing it on purpose, but whenever a newcomer bursts onto the scene and displays effortless naturalism, immersive commitment to character, and more than a hint of animal magnetism, it becomes inevitable.
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Jack Nicholson are three that instantly come to mind, and while the trio are definitely among the all-time greats, none of them would dare suggest they could even dream of lacing up Brando’s boots. They each possessed similar traits, though, and his status as the measuring stick ensured his name would always be invoked.
Mickey Rourke didn’t fare quite as well after he was initially hailed as the second coming of Brando following his breakthrough years in the industry, but in a strange way, he channelled the On the Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire icon more than most by earning a reputation for being difficult and hitting the self-destruct button more than once.
For a 21st century counterpoint, most people would be quick to point to Tom Hardy. He’s got the ruggedly handsome looks, the enigmatic intensity, and soulful eyes of Brando, and he’s also got a habit of completely transforming his physicality and accent to elevate his performance. Funnily enough, the two-time Academy Award winner was a massive inspiration to the one-time nominee, and the similarities between the two weren’t lost on Christopher Nolan.
“He combines the inner intensity of Brando with the outer expressiveness of a Charles Laughton,” the director told The New York Times of his Inception and The Dark Knight Rises colleague. “Just the right tools to craft an indelible modern villain.” Those were lofty words, especially when Hardy’s antagonistic turn as Bane in the final chapter of Nolan’s superhero trilogy split opinion down the middle.
He had the physical aspect down to a tee, but Nolan’s odd decision to render Bane unintelligible at points didn’t sit well with everyone. It’s always felt slightly reductive to take an actor who gains attention for disappearing into their roles and dedicating every ounce of themselves to a character and then slapping the ‘New Brando’ tag on them right out of the gate, even if it isn’t entirely inaccurate as it applies to Hardy.
That said, a filmmaker of Nolan’s standing isn’t going to drop a name like that without being confident that Hardy was capable of backing it up, and the evidence continues to mount that he is.
