Part chameleon, Part Movie Star: Tom Hardy does it all and then some

On screens big or small, the British actor is always riveting.

Movies that start with Tom Hardy's narration are bound to be special. This happened in two movies during his career: The Drop and Havoc. Films separated by a decade prove that the quality of a voice doesn’t dampen with age, and that some actors don’t need a lot of help or dialogue to make a dent. In one film, he was an underestimated bartender for an establishment that doubled as a mob money depot. In the latter, he was a corrupt cop finding his conscience catching up with his poor choices. Good, bad, or ugly, Hardy makes it supremely watchable. Heck, you can’t even take your eyes off him.

If you notice, Hardy comes up with a different voice for every role produced on screen. Sure, there’s a tweak here or there in the delivery, but it’s authentically related to that particular character. In Christopher Nolan’s Inception, he provided a smoother than smooth British delivery, calling Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s fellow mind deceptor “darling” as he brandished a grenade launcher over his shoulder. In Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, he relied on a German philosopher’s tone to produce the terrifying linguistic delivery of Bane. In Lawless, he perfected an ongoing mumble that left the viewer wondering what half of the words that came out of his mouth meant, but also not caring that much due to the character’s depth.

Ever since he popped up in Guy Ritchie’s Rocknrolla as Bob, a gay gangster who could infiltrate the toughest of criminals with his flirtatious nature, I’ve found his work fascinating and always leaving me wanting more from the person that was built. There’s a haunting nature to his good and bad guys, and an even greater resilience of thought in his anti-heroes. In Gareth Evans’s Havoc, he could have played the cop straight on and allowed the action to take center stage. However, the film’s final shot zooms in on his eyes, revealing the complexity in a character that would have been one-note with another actor in place.

Hardy makes most of his characters so dual-sided that the audience has to wonder what their heart is made of, and the intent behind their actions. With the well-known DC Comics villain who broke Batman’s back, he gave the monster some backbone and a backstory that made you understand his rage. Think of Nolan’s Dunkirk, where he had a few lines yet made you want to know what his pilot did before the war that changed his and so many others’ lives. In the end, when he torches his aircraft before being captured by German soldiers, there’s that haunting thousand-mile stare in his eyes that leaves us wanting more time with his hero.

Actors who show you everything inside a film’s runtime don’t leave as much of a dent as those who flash a light in a tunnel at action and intention. In Locke, he only needed a car and the camera to place the entire movie on his broad shoulders. Few can pull that off without overdoing it. Hardy never has to overdo anything.

Would he make a great James Bond? Sure, he would, but the role is now beneath him. I’d rather see him build a different character of similar makeup and take that guy down the rabbit hole of unpredictable deception. After 20+ years in the game, Hardy has carved out a niche for his ability instead of falling into someone else’s makeup.

He’s a chameleon. He’s a movie star. He’s a genuinely talented actor who may retire without an Oscar since Hollywood wouldn’t know a significant role from him if it hit them in the side of the head. Above all else, he’s the real deal. He’s so real that in real life, the man competes in legit MMA tournaments and wins them. After his breakthrough role in Gavin O’Connor’s Warrior, he got hooked into the UFC world and started training. In the best of ways, he took his work home.

In Ritchie’s Mobland, he never lets you know everything there is to know about Harry De Souza. He gives you looks, pauses, and some dialogue to help build a picture that never gets whole and boring. That creates the best kind of intrigue.

Audiences take his work home with them every time. Scroll his IMDB page, pick a spot, and start a riveting journey.