5 MINUTES WITH: TOM HARDY

Film3Sixty meets Tom Hardy, fresh off his role as Batman’s nemesis Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and now back for John Hillcoat’s gangster film Lawless. He stars as Forrest Bondurant, a 1920s Virginia bootlegger who believes he’s invincible.

Was there camaraderie on set between you, Shia La Beouf and Jason Clarke, who play Forrest’s younger brothers? 

Tom Hardy: There’s a natural alchemy that happens when you put artists in a room. The specifics of that alchemy…you rub yourself up against each other to see where you fit in. We were boys, and we were brothers, and there were times when we pissed each other off, and there were times when we hugged each other and told each other we loved them because we cared for one another.

What impressions did Shia make on you?

TH: Shia is a young actor who is breaking form, and he’s growing, and he’s stretching himself in a way that is coming out of his comfort zone. He has to break up his own cage and lay out his bedding. From there, he’ll move into manhood.

How would you describe Forrest’s relationship to his brothers.

TH: Forrest is a matriarch. He’s a mother.

You’ve now on a high, after a very up-and-down career. How do you look back on your earlier days?

TH: The first year after drama school, I had Black Hawk Down and Band of Brothers, and then Star Trek. And I was like ‘This is it! Straight out of drama school, here we go!’ But I had no idea of how to handle the industry. I was 24 – punching way above my weight. And it’s taken ten, eleven years, being someone’s Dad, being divorced, going to rehab, having mortgages, playing different characters, doing theatre…now it’s like ‘How can I help and be a part of this?’ Rather than ‘I must impress everyone!’

You’re currently shooting Mad Max: Fury Road. What drew you to that?

TH: It’s Mad Max, isn’t it? It’s the V8 interceptor. It’s Mel Gibson. It’s wicked! And I’m very grateful and happy to be a part of that. George Miller did the original and he’s doing this one. And he’s a very diligent, quiet, introspective, kind, gentle, psychoanalytical doctor. So when you imagine doing something which is innately epic and dark but at the same time a big action piece with somebody like that, the alchemy seems like it might be quite exciting.

We’ve heard you’re a Come Dine With Me fan. Is that true?

TH: Actually I really do like Come Dine With Me! It’s easy watching and it’s great people-watching. There are some great characters in there. I’ll steal characters from Come Dine With Me, because it’s real people. I’ll take something from everybody!

Words: James Mottram

Lawless is in UK cinemas 7 September 2012