The five actors Tom Hardy modelled his career on: “What would they do?”
Tom Hardy has carved out a reputation as one of the most compelling actors of his generation. Known for his intensity, range, and complete immersion into character, Hardy’s performances have left a lasting mark across film and television. Like any great artist, though, his path has been shaped by the influence of those who came before him.
Hardy has dominated popular culture for well over a decade, thanks to his complete and utter bravery in selecting parts. There aren’t many A-list stars who’d be willing to sign up for projects in which they have their face covered the entire time, but Hardy isn’t afraid to be unrecognisable, unsightly, or even wordless. Even if not all of his films have earned the same degree of praise, Hardy has been making the type of performative choices that no one else could replicate.
What’s most fascinating about Hardy is that he’s managed to retain his inherent idiosyncrasies, even when he’s taking on lead roles. According to an interview Hardy conducted with The AV Club, this is because he is inspired by “great character actors” who are “not necessarily the lead”. He went on to cite Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as inspiring his willingness to take on supporting roles, which he compared to the game of soccer.
“There is no difference between passing the ball to someone’s feet accurately than there is to the striker being accurate on the goal,” Hardy said. “The difference is the pressure on who’s up front, but in order for a team to play properly so that guy can keep scoring, you have to have strong people around. Being a co-star or actor is as significant a position on the field as it is to be a striker.”
Hardy’s comments make sense when considering that some of his most recognisable roles have been where he isn’t necessarily the lead. Even if he had less screen time in Inception when compared to Leonardo DiCaprio or Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hardy’s character Eames became the film’s scene-stealer. Similarly, his nearly silent role as an unnamed fighter pilot in Dunkirk is often named as the standout storyline within Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic.
Hardy said that he often thinks “what would they do?” of his idols when thinking about why they were “drawn to those parts”. Although he reiterated his admiration for Oldman, he also listed two other names: Gene Hackman and Ed Harris.
“These actors and the characters they play are imbued with the ability to actually lift the lead and one another up in a film, and apart from serving the script and the director’s vision, but an actor’s sole purpose, my sole purpose as an actor, is to feed my opposite actor as much as humanly possible in order for him or her to do their job,” he said.
Adding, “If I’m doing that for them, and they’re in return doing that for me, then we have a lot of options, and you hopefully have the potential to capture some great drama.”
Funny enough, Hardy’s worked with Oldman a fair few times now – from the John le Carré adaptation Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, to the gritty Prohibition-era flick Lawless, the blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises, and the moody thriller Child 44. Watching them on screen together, you get the sense there’s a proper mutual respect there. In some ways, their run of collaborations feels a bit like one acting heavyweight passing the torch to the next.
