Tom Hardy has to be my favourite British actor. You can forget the corny Connery and the surly Statham, Hardy produces convincing performances again and again in roles that vary in complexity and character, and the best thing is that he can only get better. At the age of 34 and with the ability he possesses, he could have a career bearing the longevity similar to that of the Nicholsons and De Niros of this world. Also, taking into account the roles he has acquired recently, like the famous villain Bane in the Batman series and the skilful forger Eames in the hugely successful thriller, Inception – his reputation in Hollywood is growing by the minute.
However, I was taken aback by the performance he pulled out of the bag for the comparatively low-budget film – Warrior. The film depicts two cage-fighting brothers who’s poor relationship with each other is only surpassed by the worse relationship they have with their father (Nick Nolte). Hardy plays one of the brothers, Tommy, in an extremely convincing manner – which is helped by his very impressive New Jersey accent. Hardy is ruthless in some of the scenes with Nolte, showing that he isn’t scared to share the lens with some of Hollywood’s legends and even steal the show whilst he’s there.
Despite the claims that Hardy merely ‘used’ this film to get the required stature and physique for his upcoming Batman adventure, I think Hardy took this film very seriously and this is evidently reflected in the overall quality of his performance. The scenes shared with the vastly talented and experienced Nolte are really something to see, where Tommy strips down his hard shell to reveal the soft, caring side that ultimately saves his father from further and possibly fatal alcoholism. Add to this the emotional scenes towards the end of the film with his brother Brendan and together with the violence and macho aspects to Hardy’s character I’d say you have a complete role.
So, Warrior was a hit for both Hardy and Hollywood, and it’s these kind of ‘under-the-radar’ performances from roles that really galvanize a great actor’s career and reputation.
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