Tom Hardy’s Best Performances, Ranked
Tom Hardy is, no surprise, terrific as mob fixer Harry da Souza in Guy Ritchie’s series “MobLand,” which debuted on Paramount+ on Sunday night. As with his previous criminal characters, he brings the necessary ruthlessness and brute power to the role.
While we wait for more episodes to roll out, why not revisit some of his best performances working with some of the best directors in the business, including Christopher Nolan, Nicolas Winding Refn and Alejandro González Iñárritu.
From an alien-possessed reporter to a gleefully garish supervillain, we love him at all decibel levels.
8. Ricki Tarr in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
In this stacked cast, Hardy plays a lower-level operative who’s stumbled onto a dangerous secret, one that’s already gotten a number of people killed. It’s rare to see the actor as someone who’s uncertain or jumpy … or not the most powerful person in the room.
7. Eames in “Inception”
In Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending 2010 thriller, Hardy had his breakout role as Eames, the most charming member of a team of dream-hacking thieves. Who could forget when he whips out a grenade launcher and tells Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.”
6. John S. Fitzgerald in “The Revenant”
Hardy received his first Oscar nomination for his role as the vindictive 19th century trapper who makes it his mission to put main character Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the cold, cold ground.
5. Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises”
While we weren’t always sure what this supervillain was saying — that weird mask didn’t help — we knew what immense joy he derived from terrorizing Gotham and literally breaking Batman (Christian Bale). His bold, blustery Bane was having the best time ever as a bad guy who seemingly could not be defeated.
4. Tom Conlin in “Warrior”
Do we buy the actor as a scarily committed MMA fighter? Yes, absolutely. Every second of it. The only thing that’s a little harder to believe is that this character, a troubled former Marine, could ever lose a fight.
3. Eddie Brock/Venom in “Venom”
While you can argue the merits of this film trilogy, you cannot dispute that Hardy absolutely makes it work as both dogged reporter Eddie Brock and as the unhinged, people-eating alien Venom who becomes Eddie’s best friend and protector, even though he’s a symbiotic parasite. Hardy’s physicality when Venom takes over his body as Eddie tries to figure out what the hell is going on is half the fun, likewise Hardy’s Venom-ed-up raspy voice.
2. Michael Peterson in “Bronson”
Hardy gives his all in this stellar early performance as real-life criminal Michael Gordon Peterson, who nicknamed himself “Charles Bronson” after the “Death Wish” actor. His off-the-charts intensity in Nicolas Winding Refn’s wildly unconventional biopic must be seen to be believed.
1. Ivan Locke in “Locke”
Hardy is at his most subtle and devastating here in this essentially one-man show. The movie plays out as he’s driving in his car and making various phone calls… while blowing up his entire life, personally and professionally. For an actor who’s known for going over the top, he’s at his most heartbreakingly restrained.
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