Tom Hardy on how CBeebies was the hardest role of his career: “Authentically the toughest I’ve ever played”
Known for playing gangsters and bad guys, if Tom Hardy had been born a few decades earlier – and swapped his recognisable London drawl for something more American – he would almost certainly have landed himself a role in a classic New York gangster movie, maybe even one directed by Martin Scorsese. Instead, Hardy rose to prominence in the early 2000s after winning a modelling competition on The Big Breakfast, which eventually led him into acting.
The actor’s reputation for playing challenging and often criminal characters was solidified when he played the notorious and incredibly violent Charles Bronson in the biographical drama Bronson. The role demonstrated Hardy’s dedication to his craft, which included various meetings with the criminal, who was impressed by the actor’s embodiment of him.
Further success came from that point, taking him from mainly starring in British movies to dominating Hollywood with significant parts in major blockbusters. He played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, the titular character in Mad Max: Fury Road, and even Venom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
You would think that playing one of these antagonistic and complex characters would be the most challenging of his career – or perhaps the various other gangsters he has played, such as the Kray twins in Legend or Al Capone in Capone – but his most difficult role was something rather different.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor revealed that his toughest role was something that hardly involved any acting at all. Forget Bronson, The Revenant, Inception, Peaky Blinders, and Venom – it’s CBeebies Bedtime Stories that Hardy found most challenging.
He revealed: “That’s actually really tough! You have to try working with children or try to get them to sleep – talk about tough! It’s the toughest thing on the planet is trying to get children to go to bed on time.”
“That’s authentically the toughest role I’ve ever played,” he admitted, before adding, “And it’s the closest, probably, to me.”
Hardy has appeared on various episodes of the show, which is typically broadcast just before 7pm to encourage young viewers to wind down for bed. Reading stories such as There’s A Tiger In The Garden by Lizzy Stewart and Under The Same Sky by Robert Vescio and Nicky Johnston, the actor no doubt channelled his own experience as a father of three into the episodes.
So, while he didn’t have to transform into a vicious law-breaker, gain or lose weight, or wear any demanding costumes or prosthetics, the actor found the weight of responsibility in trying to get a whole nation of children to fall asleep quite the challenge. Still, it seems like he finds it rewarding, and the actor – known for his distinctive voice – has become quite the regular on the show.
