Top 5 Tom Hardy Performances

Let’s Take A Look At Tom Hardy’s Top 5 Performances

It has been a good year for Tom Hardy. Before his roles in 2015 like Mad Max: Fury Road, “Legend,” and next year’s “The Revenant,” Hardy had already established himself as a brilliant talent in front of the camera, but these most recent roles reveal he’ll be an Oscar contender in the near future. He’s been awarded many awards throughout his career, including mountains of nominations, but most movie-goers mainly know Hardy for his role as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises,” or as Tuck in the action rom-com “This Means War.” He’s actually been in quite a bit more than those two favorites, including several projects in the United Kingdom.

I turned this into a Top 5 instead of a Top 10 because it made things more difficult for me. I’ve decided to only stick to his film performances that occurred before 2015, but everyone should check out his work on mini-series like “Wuthering Heights” and “Oliver Twist.” Plus, I’m sticking to his more prominent roles (Protagonist or main Supporting), mainly because he has many cameo and small roles in other film projects. I’m excited to see his work in “The Revenant” and “Mad Max: The Wasteland,” so let’s take a look at the Top 5 Tom Hardy Performances.

(Check these films out whenever you get the chance. I highly recommend it.)

#5. Forrest Bondurant – Lawless

This was a tough one for me. Hardy was fantastic in 2014’s “The Drop,” but my mind couldn’t put it over his performance as Forrest Bondurant in “Lawless.” I’m from Virginia myself, so trust me when I say I know what Virginia accents and culture are like. Hardy uses his acting chops to an excellent degree here, doing the perfect job of hiding his British culture behind that of Southern Virginia. Forrest is a ruthless moonshiner, who always seems to handle things in a cool, calm and collected manner… until you piss him off that is. The character’s calm nature sends adrenaline and tension throughout your body, even during the scenes where Forrest is simply talking to his family. Only Hardy could make a mellow character seem absolutely terrifying while he’s standing still; it kind of makes you wish Forrest was the main character. Forrest is considered a supporting character next to Shia Lebouf’s Jack Bondurant, but Hardy commands the screen whenever he appears, and he makes the audience understand why he’s the head of the family business.

#4. Ivan Locke – Locke

Hardy’s eyes set him apart from a lot of actors in the industry. You can see what I’m talking about in all of his works, but especially in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and “Locke.” Within thirty seconds of a monologue or medium close-up of one of Hardy’s characters, you understand exactly what that character is thinking and feeling because of how Hardy utilizes his eyes to strengthen his performance. This kind of talent is perfect for a film like “Locke,” because the entire film takes place inside of a car while the protagonist makes a bunch of different phone calls. Only Hardy could captivate an audience for 90 minutes while sitting in a car and talking on the phone. It’s his little nuances and bits of facial finesse that make this performance wonderful and memorable. This is another example of his talents and how he commands the screen, all while building a character that is different from all his other performances. I never thought watching someone driving a car would be so interesting, but Hardy proved me wrong.

#3. Stuart Clive Shorter – Stuart: A Life Backwards

Hardy’s performance in “Stuart: A Life Backwards” has been bashed by a few as too over the top and unbelievable. I don’t care what anyone else says; Hardy should’ve taken home a BAFTA for this TV Movie. The performance itself shows Hardy’s versatility as an actor, where he creates an empathetic, psychotic criminal with muscular dystrophy who has heart and goodness inside of him. Alongside the amazing Benedict Cumberbatch, we get to know Stuart from his last jail sentence to the day he was born. Telling his story backwards makes you understand Stuart as a human more than a stereotypical journey from A to B could ever do. Even before you understand exactly what makes Stuart tick, Hardy’s captivating performance opens a window into the pain and suffering going on inside of this troubled person. When you finally learn about the sexual abuse, muscular dystrophy, and alcohol that riddle his past, you can do nothing but feel your emotional heartstrings being plucked. You may not be able to understand his speech when you first start watching, but I guarantee you’ll be in love with Stuart by the story’s end.

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