Tom Hardy is a maverick in many ways. The actor has chosen to tread risky ground when it comes to picking roles and characters. With an intensity that is matched by his physical presence, Hardy has been successful as an action star while also receiving critical acclaim for his performances. With films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Venom and The Dark Knight Rises, the celebrity has also cemented his place among Hollywood’s A-listers.
A film that was groundbreaking for Tom Hardy in terms of physicality and performance was Gavin O’Connor’s Warrior in which the actor plays an MMA fighter. The role earned him a lot of praise not just for his presence but also for his acting chops. Interestingly, Hardy’s audition for the character was not impressive and confident.
Tom Hardy’s Audition For Warrior Was Poor
Despite nailing a difficult role in Warrior, Tom Hardy failed to impress his director Gavin O’Connor in his audition. The director confessed that while he had never heard of the Venom actor before, it was through his casting agent that he decided to give Hardy a chance to audition. Speaking of the starting troubles the British star faced, O’Connor said,
“And then we put him on tape, and he still wasn’t remotely close to what he does in the movie, in the audition, he just had a really hard time with the dialect, and the character, you know, he was really struggling with, it was early, you know?”
Despite his audition struggles, the Warrior director confessed that he saw a spark in the actor and was confident that Hardy was the right choice for the role. True to his words, The Revenant star aced the character to perfection.
Tom Hardy’s Extreme Diet for Warrior Affected Him Mentally
Tom Hardy is known for pushing his body to the limits to transform himself for his roles. In Warrior, the actor took his physical and dietary regimen to the next level to play the rough and intense MMA fighter in the film. To prepare for the role, Hardy followed a strict diet routine that involved eating only broccoli and chicken every day. This along with his draining exercise routine of boxing, muy thai, and jiu-jitsu, resulted in the actor looking the part to perfection.
Unfortunately, Hardy’s efforts to look his best in Warrior took a toll on the actor’s mental well-being. The star confessed that he became foul-mouthed, irritable, and combative as a result of his overbearing routine which caused tension on the sets. To quote the actor,
“99 per cent of the job is imagining other people’s insecurities, and that went right out the f******* window! I felt on edge all the time because I’m very sensitive and I hate pissing people off – but I f***** a lot of people off on Warrior,”
Despite the struggles, Hardy went on to add that the film was one of the biggest learning experiences for him as an actor and as a human being as it taught him to take the highs and the lows in his stride.
Source: Cheatsheet
