Tom Hardyhas become one of Hollywood’s most popular actors, and there are a few movies that were vital milestones on his path to success. Hardy made his film debut in 2001, but it took a few years before he found mainstream success and truly established himself as a leading man.
Hardy’s best moviesencompass a wide range of different genres. He often shines in crime dramas likeLegendandThe Bikeriders,but he’s also proven himself as an action star with blockbuster hits likeMad Max: Fury RoadandThe Dark Knight Rises.Hardy is known for making unusual choiceswith his performances, which make him hard to forget.
10Black Hawk Down (2001)
It’s easy to forget that Tom Hardy made his big-screen debut inBlack Hawk Down,becauseRidley Scott’s war drama is stuffed with big-name actors. Thecast ofBlack Hawk Downfeatures Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom and many more famous faces.
In the same year that he made a brief appearance in HBO’s critically-acclaimed World War II miniseriesBand of Brothers,Hardy played a young machine gunner inBlack Hawk Down.It’s only a small role, easily lost in the huge ensemble cast, but Hardy seems like a natural talent from the very start.
9Layer Cake (2004)
After making his debut inBlack Hawk Down,Hardy continued to pick up supporting roles. This period of his career produced several forgettable duds, but he also had a few fascinating performances. Hisvillain role inStar Trek: Nemesisand supporting roles inMarie AntoinetteandRocknRollashowed that he wasn’t afraid to make interesting choices.
Layer Cakeis one of the hidden gems of Hardy’s career, but the stylish crime drama holds up wonderfully. Hardy plays one of many scheming gangsters vying for control of London’s criminal underworld.Layer Cakeis also notable as Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut, and it’s often cited as the role that secured Daniel Craig the part of James Bond.
8Bronson (2008)
Hardy made a splash with his first leading role inBronson.Nicolas Winding Refn’s film tells the true story of the man dubbed “Britain’s most dangerous prisoner,” who has a long history of violence against guards and other inmates.Hardy is electric as Bronson, showing off his talent for dark comedy as well as his dramatic skills.
Bronsonnever tries to rationalize or explain away Bronson’s obscene bursts of violence. Instead, it leaves its audience with a lot of difficult questions about the nature of criminal justice, rehabilitation and society’s handling of complex mental health issues. The fact thatBronsonmanages to do all this while remaining entertaining and unpredictable throughout is credit to Hardy’s performance.
7Inception (2010)
Hardy has appeared in three ofChristopher Nolan’s moviesso far, starting with the sci-fi thrillerInception.His role as Eames brought him a new level of success, withInceptiongrossing $839.4 million at the box office. It has since been recognized as one of the best sci-fi movies of the 21st century.
Inceptionis arguably the quintessential Nolan movie, since it’s a perfect example of his ability to blend spectacular cinematic thrills with a unique, thought-provoking premise. It also displays many of Nolan’s most prominent filmmaking quirks, like his penchant for toying with time, his love of bold, imposing music and his ability to represent complex ideas in visually striking ways.
6The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knightwas a tough act to follow, and Hardy had a particularly difficult job of following in the footsteps of Heath Ledger’s Joker as Batman’s main antagonist. His characterization of Bane was completely unexpected, buthis jovial voice inThe Dark Knight Riseshas since become iconic.
Hardy’s delivery ensures that he lays claim to many of thebest quotes of theDark Knighttrilogy. He brings a calmness and poise that seems to run counter to the explosive action of the movie, but this proves to be a wise choice. It means that his version of Bane is the perfect representation of everything that Batman is not.
George Miller never intended to leave a 30-year gap betweenMad Maxmovies, butFury Roadspent decades trapped in development hell. By the time Miller was ready to get production underway, he had to replace Mel Gibson, but Hardy proved that he was the perfect choice. His performance is one reason whyFury Roadis so adored by fans.
Hardy delivers a compelling performance inFury Roadwithout ever having to overact.His restrained, stoic approach to the character reveals a little of his tortured backstory, althoughFury Roadis also a great introduction to the franchise for fans who might not be familiar with Gibson’s era.
4Legend (2015)
Hardy’s dual role inLegendunderlines his willingness to take on interesting projects that draw attention to his performance. Just like inLockeandCapone,Legendis the kind of film that places a lot of emphasis on Hardy, and he rises to the occasion with one - or perhaps two - of his most entertaining performances.
Hardy plays Ronnie and Reggie Kray, the real-life gangster twins who courted the media and became celebrities in London in the 1960s. He does a lot to distinguish between the two characters, cooking up an infectious comedic dynamic with himself without neglecting the film’s more dramatic elements.
3The Revenant (2015)
Hardy rounded out the biggest year of his career so far with a role inThe Revenant.AfterMad Max: Fury RoadandLegend, The Revenantwas another shining example of his acting prowess and considerable range. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, eventually losing out to Mark Rylance for his role inBridge of Spies.
The Revenantis famous for its difficult production, as well as being the movie that finally scored Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar win.Hardy’s performance shouldn’t be overlooked, though, since his chilling villain role is part of what makes the drama feel so viscerally powerful. With more performances like this, he’ll surely be competing at the Oscars again in the future.
2Venom (2018)
Hardy had appeared in big movie franchise beforeVenom, but he had never made a sequel to one of his own films. AlthoughMad Max: Fury Roadcould have been the start of a whole new series, Hardy had to wait untilVenomto get a franchise that he could truly call his own.
Fans And Critics Don’t See Eye-To-Eye On The Venom Franchise
31%
80%
58%
83%
40%
79%
AllthreeVenommovieshave received mixed reviews, but much more positive responses from fans. Hardy’s charismatic performance as Eddie Brock, and his booming voice as Venom, is partly why audiences have kept coming back for more.He has also taken on a more involved role in the two sequels, serving as story co-writer and producer.
1The Bikeriders (2023)
Since 2018, Hardy has only appeared in three movies that aren’t part of theVenomfranchise:Capone, The Bikeriders,andHavoc.The Bikeridersis the pick of the bunch, and it could provide a glimpse into the future of Hardy’s career now that he’s left Eddie Brock behind him.
The Bikeridersis a return to familiar territory for Hardy in some ways, because he’s always excelled in the crime genre, but he plays a more mature and restricted character than many of his previous roles. It’s one of his most impressive performances, even if it isn’t his most eye-catching. Hopefully, Hardy will continue choosing interesting projects in the next few years.
