Going through an impressive transformation for a role is not an uncommon practice in the film industry. Actors’ dedication to their work isn’t limited to showcasing their craft of acting on screen, as apart from it, they put in much toll to ace their role. There are many actors like Chris Evans, Christian Bale, Chris Hemsworth, and more who underwent a massive physical transformation to excel in their incredible performances.
Another name that can be added to this list is Tom Hardy, whose transformation for the 2008 film Bronson was not only impressive but fans were also startled to see his gigantic physique in the film. Given that the actor was previously a part of a film, that required him to look like a homeless drug addict, his transformation took much more toll on him than the rest.
Tom Hardy opted for the method acting approach to ace the toughest role
In 2008, Tom Hardy appeared in a biopic of the notorious British criminal Charles Bronson, titled Bronson. Hardy played the titular character in the film which required a lot of physical metamorphosis. Since he was playing the role of the “most violent prisoner in Britain”, it was crucial for the actor to closely observe Bronson’s personality. There were instances when Hardy used to occasionally interact with the prisoner to get into his shoes to ace his performance.
The initial step to adapting Bronson’s personality was to replicate his appearance. Hardy’s transformation into Bronson, included shaving his head and most remarkably gaining his weight up to three stone (19kg/42lbs).
However, playing the role of a violent criminal was not a piece of cake, as it indeed took a great toll on the actor. The actor dwells so much into Bronson’s character that he even prepared for the role in Bronson’s style.
Just like Bronson used to work out in prison without using any gym equipment, Hardy followed his footsteps took up the traditional approach, and trained himself using his own body weight. His exercise included complex and tough push-ups. During a conversation with Ask Men, Hardy shared,
“My approach was to do a lot of repetitions in order to send messages to my muscles: this helps them start to grow in a way that you can’t make them in the gym. To achieve dense muscle, you need a specific kind of training.”
Playing Bronson can be considered Hardy’s toughest performance as he went through a major physical transformation, right after appearing in Stuart: A Life Backwards, where he played the role of a homeless drug addict person.
Tom Hardy’s dedication to work is evident in his work
Before starring in Bronson, Tom Hardy appeared in the 2007 film Stuart: A Life Backwards. The film was a success both commercially and critically. Hardy’s performance as Stuart, a homeless alcoholic was also well acclaimed by the audience, but little did they know is his effort to pull off the role impeccably.
According to Men’s Health, Hardy lost 12.5kg to play the role of Stuart. During the same interview, the actor said,
“I had to quickly put a lot of weight quickly on my forearms, chest, and neck.”
This was the first time the actor tried the method acting approach, by going through a massive physical transformation, in two consecutive films.
Source: Ask Men, Men’s Health
