How Tom Hardy sabotaged his first shot at movie stardom: “I was a fucking mess”
There’s no playbook on how an actor deals with gaining fame and attention at a young age, but Tom Hardy probably wishes there was after he let burgeoning stardom go to his head and sabotaged his first shot at making a name for himself in the industry.
On one hand, it’s easy to see why he found himself getting carried away. Hardy made his feature debut under the direction of Ridley Scott in 2001’s war drama Black Hawk Down, where he was part of the star-studded ensemble for a white-knuckle war thriller that took off at the box office and won two Academy Awards.
The very same year, Hardy notched his first television credit, and the setting was equally grandiose. Co-created by the heavyweight team of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Band of Brothers completely revolutionised the small screen and played a major part in ushering in the era of prestige TV that’s still ongoing today.
Next up was the role of the principal antagonist in a blockbuster sequel from an established, iconic, and widely beloved franchise. Star Trek: Nemesis wasn’t anything to write home about, but for the third consecutive role – which was also the first three of his career – Hardy was dealing with big names, big budgets, and big expectations.
The following year, he even proved himself on the stage after being awarded ‘Outstanding Newcomer’ by the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, the oldest and longest-running theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. It was a hell of a start, but he started buying into his own hype to a detrimental effect.
Patrick Stewart thought he’d never see or hear of Hardy again after they’d worked together on Nemesis, and he was almost right. Descending into a self-induced haze of alcohol and drugs, the actor’s wayward personal life was threatening to derail his professional one. Knowing that something had to change, a 2003 visit to rehab would serve as the catalyst.
“I had a first shot at Hollywood, and it went to my head,” Hardy admitted to Little White Lies. “I started doing things I shouldn’t have been doing, mixing with people I shouldn’t have been mixing with. I was a fucking mess. The fame got to me, I guess.”
He was still working consistently, but not at the same level he’d become accustomed to too soon. The days of Scott, Spielberg, Hanks, and Stewart were a distant memory, but with his head firmly screwed on straight, 2008 would mark the beginning of Hardy’s reascension when his star-making turn in Bronson and a plum supporting part in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla lit the touchpaper on his second wind.
These days, Hardy is regarded as one of the most dependable, dynamic, and chameleonic talents of his generation, and having blown his first shot at stardom, he was never going to let it happen again.
