Born to famous artist and novelist parents, Tom Hardy had quite the wild ride of a life. Fortunately for him, he never had to worry about financial matters, however, growing up affluent didn’t exactly suit him.
He built quite a reputation for himself with his alcohol addiction starting at the age of 13, which soon morphed into full-fledged d**gs, and even thievery in search of the next thrill just to break the monotony of his days.
Unfortunately, these troubles got carried over to his earlier days in Hollywood when he was rejected in one of the cult classics of modern cinema opposite Keira Knightley.
Tom Hardy was rejected as Mr. Darcy
Tom Hardy‘s first introduction to acting was a phenomenal experience alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins and Michael Fassbender. Obviously, learning from these maestros, his expectations and dedication to the craft only grew over the years.
Specifically, Michael Fassbender’s instinctual drive towards method acting inspired him so wholly that he fully wanted to immerse himself into experiencing his characters’ journeys. Something he did successfully later in his career.
However, his earlier days were not that kind to him, especially with him still reeling from addiction problems. The biggest setback for him at the time came when he went to audition for the 2005 hit Pride and Prejudice.
Anyone with an affinity for literature knows what a truly influential piece of literature Jane Austen’s novel is. And when that got adapted into a major movie in 2005, the expectations obviously became intense. Thankfully, Keira Knightley was as perfect a fit as could be for the heroine Elizabeth Bennet.
Interestingly, Tom Hardy wanted to star opposite her in the role of Mr. Darcy. However, with pre-penned literature, come preconceived ideas.
And for the studio, that idea did not fit Tom Hardy. As a result, he got turned down at the audition, with the harsh statement, “Babe, every woman in the world has an impression of who Darcy is and you’re just not it.”
Thankfully, Hardy did not let it pull him down and got even more dedicated to his craft which eventually led him to an Academic Awards nomination.
Tom Hardy’s performance impressed Charles Bronson
Fortunately, Tom Hardy quickly bounded back from his failure and invested even more of himself in his craft. Always a method actor, he even started going through physical transformations to not only portray but also embody his characters completely.
For example, his movie Bronson required him to play the role of Charles Bronson, a real convict who was termed as, “the most violent prisoner in Britain.” To portray his character convincingly, Hardy put on 42 pounds by eating pizza and chocolates for meals.
In fact, his acting was so bone-chillingly accurate that it even impressed the real Charles Bronson when he watched the movie. It would actually be safe to say that the rejection from Pride and Prejudice did not really affect Tom Hardy’s career much at all, as he went on to act in some of the most iconic roles over the years.
Starting with Christopher Nolan‘s Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and even Marvel’s anti-hero Venom, which was more of his son’s influence who is allegedly a huge fan of the superhero.
Not only that, but his performance in The Revenant alongside his Inception co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, who basically forced him to do the movie, also got him his first Academy Awards nomination.
And thankfully for fans, he is all set to return as Eddie Brock in Venom 3, which is set to go into production soon. Combined with Havoc releasing later this year, Tom Hardy seems booked and busy right now.
Havoc is expected to release later this year. However, a set release date has not yet been disclosed.
Source: Short List
