Tom Hardy’s Crazy Year

Posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 4:08 pm by George

Christopher Nolan‘s upcoming film Inception is filled with rising stars who have seen 2009 as their breakthrough years. Marion Cotillard starred with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in Public Enemies and will be singing with Daniel Day-Lewis in Nine, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in the indie hit (500) Days of Summer and had a small part as the villain in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. But it is Tom Hardy, who received critical praise for his performance in this year’s Bronson, that may finally see Inception as his big ticket to stardom.

After small parts in films like Black Hawk Down, Layer Cake, and Rocknrolla, Bronson provided Hardy the role he needed to get noticed in Hollywood. Opening in October 2008 at the London Film Festival and playing January 19, 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival, Bronson showcased the range and talent Tom Hardy has by putting him in the lead role as prisoner Charles Bronson. After getting cast in Nolan’s Inception, Hardy also got the lead in Fury Road, the new Mad Max film.

I didn’t expect to get Mad Max. I really didn’t. I didn’t ever expect to get the lead in a Hollywood movie, for Chris Nolan off the bat to offer me [Inception] without an audition and then to go sit with [director] George Miller [on Fury Road] and work with him and not really audition in the orthodox way of auditioning this year’s been crazy. I’ve been working as an actor for a long time now, and I’ve been waiting for an independent film to come along because it was very hard to get cast as a character actor, as a lead being credible but bankable. It’s very hard to break in when there are plenty of people who can be cast, who can green-light, who can put bums in the seats. So this whole year has been staggering.

You can see Tom Hardy as Eames in Inception July 16th, 2010 and Max in Fury Road in 2011.

Tags: Christopher Nolan, Inception, Tom Hardy
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DHOPW42

I’m looking forward for his role in Inception. I remember him in Rocknrolla, I think it’s the only move I have seen with Hardy.
Eternalist

I’ve seen Black Hawk Down, but I don’t remember him in it. Otherwise, he seems talented, I’ve just never seen his acting.

He was also cast without an audition. Nolan must have a lot of trust in him. Does anyone remember whether Ledger ever had to audition?
Inception

He was AWESOME in RockNRolla! He totally deserves this, who knows he might be in the next Batman.
Inception

No I don’t think Ledger did audition, in his interviews he said he and Nolan had converstation about the role and they were on the same page.
Eternalist

That’s what I heard. Nolan shot straight to Ledger before considering other actors.
http://www.nolanfans.com George

Speaking of casting and auditioning.
Anyone know if there’s any truth to the rumor that Evan Rachel Wood was Nolan’s original choice for Ariadne, but Ellen Page was cast since Wood turned down the role?

IMDB’s trivia section for Inception also says that Emily Blunt, Keira Knightley and Emma Roberts were among those considered for Page’s role. I just can’t really buy it though.
Eternalist

I haven’t found any confirmation of that anywhere outside of iMDB. It’s most likely false.
Anne

I agree with Eternalist, I think the imdb rumour about Evan Rachel Wood being the first choice for Ariadne is bull. This is Nolan were talking about here, people; he’s not someone that up and coming actors would easily dismiss and turn down an opportunity to work with. Hell, look at the pedigree of the rest of the cast – two oscar winners (Cotillard and Caine), a bankable superstar who’s also a good actor (Dicaprio), and a solid supporting cast of great actors. Page herself was a recent Best Actress oscar nominee, though she lost out to Cotillard. Evan Rachel Wood would be a fool to turn down working on Inception. So unless Wood is really that dumb, I kinda doubt she was the director’s first choice for Ariadne.

If anything – aside from Page’s very real talent – it’s possible that Cillian Murphy might have put in a good word for her to Nolan. Murphy and Page worked together in Peacock (still unreleased), and he quite liked working with her. If Murphy and Nolan were talking about Inception and the Ariadne role wasn’t yet cast, Murphy may have brought up Page’s name as a candidate. This is pure speculation on my part, obviously. For all we know, Nolan may have had Page in mind for Ariadne since the inception of Inception.
George

James Franco turned the role that went to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But since Page was one of the first cast for the film, I do think she was the first choice.
vinay

i doubt nolan would have considered any other actress but ellen.

nolan required hollywood’s most in demand actress to fill the leading role and ellen has been hot property in the last 2 years. wood has barely appeared in a movie in the last 2 years and has never quite carried a movie on her own..most of her roles has been in supporting roles.

big budget movies require big name actors and theres no better cast than these guys to make it a success
Anne

James Franco had to bow out of Inception due to a prior commitment to another movie. He was contractually bound to that other project, so it’s not like he wanted to leave per se.

Vinay, though I do think Ellen is very talented, and much more in demand since Juno, I personally don’t believe that she’s “hollywood’s most in demand actress.” Unless that comment was referring to Cotillard? I like Cotillard, she is an excellent actress – go see La Vie En Rose, if you haven’t already – but personally, I wouldn’t say she’s the most in demand hollywood actress, either.
vinay

i guess everyone has their own views about that…but based on the various projects shes been involved in over the last 2 years, and the movies she has had to have turned down due to her heavy schedule, i believe that her screen presence has made her popular with most of the studios…she has 3 movies coming out in the next 7 months…..

we do agree that she is quite talented though:)
Eternalist

I’ve only seen Evan Rachel Wood in The Wrestler. But, she does kind of look like Paige. Weird…
Anne

Vinay, what are you talking about? What 3 movies that are going to be released in the next 7 months? As far as I know, Ellen has only one movie coming out, and that’s Inception, which won’t be released till July 2010, and that’s 8 months away. Peacock is still in limbo, and her next movie, “Super”, is in pre-production.

Eternalist, I saw the Wrestler, too, and yes Wood was good in her role. In terms of resemblence to Page, maybe a little in that movie. Wood’s hair was brown, and she had a fresh face kind of look that Ellen has had in some of her previous movies. But other than that, the two actresses don’t physically look alike. I just googled EVW, and the pics that popped up of her definitely do not resemble Ellen. For one thing, Wood is taller, more curvy, and is asheblonde (though when she was in her gothpunk period and dating Marilyn Manson, she dyed her hair black). Ellen is petite, slight of frame, and a brunette.

Anyway, to return to the topic of this thread, I’ve seen Tom Hardy in Star Trek as Shinzon and in Layer Cake. Now I wanna see him in Bronson and Rocknrolla. I think Inception is going to give a big career boost to Joseph Gordon Levitt, Hardy, and Page. Not that these actors need the boost per se since their own talents are already clearly being recognized. I actually think it’s quite possible that these three may steal the movie right out from under Dicaprio, and they may walk away with the most critical buzz and acclaim.
vinay

the official release of “peacock” is at the sundance film festival in janaury,expected release anyway..
“super” is due to start filming late december, early janaury..expected release around May, and “inception” in july ,

ive been watching Tom Hardy in the TV series The Take, and the he seems ok, in an offbeat sorta way though…:) i havent seen him in any other movies though, but i guess the entire cast performance will be under the spotlight , however well the movie might perform in the box office
Eternalist

“For one thing, Wood is taller, more curvy, and is asheblonde (though when she was in her gothpunk period and dating Marilyn Manson, she dyed her hair black). Ellen is petite, slight of frame, and a brunette.”

Someone has WAY too much time on their hands.
Anne

“Someone has WAY too much time on their hands.”

And someone – namely you, Eternalist – needs to remember what good manners are. Your comment was rude and completely uncalled for. It’s also rather hypocritical in light of the fact that you, yourself, made a comment about how this board was suppose to be “a troll free zone” – this is in reference to your comment a while back about Pete Agassi’s inappropriate behavior on the Inception forum. Your comment above is rude and trollish, and is counterproductive to encouraging discussion.

And for the record, it takes less than 2 minutes to google EVW, click on the images tab on the Google menu bar, and see a plethora of EVW pics that clearly show that she and Page bare no real resemblance to one another.

Now, on to discussion with someone who can act maturely – Vinay. Vinay, where are you getting your information from? The Sundance website hasn’t yet released their 2010 schedule. Peacock was rumoured to debut there this year, then it was rumoured that it was going to debut at TIFF (Toronto Internation Film Festival), neither of which manifested. I think that the fact Peacock has such difficulty getting released is indicative of something wrong with the film itself. As for Super, that’s a very short window of time to both film the movie and then release it. And for it to debut in May, which is now the start of the summer blockbuster season seems kinda of suicidal to me. As far as I know, Super is a little indie movie, and doesn’t have a large marketing budget. It stands very little chance of competing against the studio marketed blockbusters that come out during that time.
Eternalist

Someone is WAY too sensitive.
vinay

“peacock” was set to be released at TIFF but if stories are anything to go by…the organisers never wanted 2 of ellens’ movies to debut at the festival (“whip it” was the other).. the studios then decided to move the release to the sundance festival.. as mentioned earlier , the official (expected) release is there.. more or less confirmed, but hopefully doesnt get put off to another date again..(cross our fingers). i guess we will have to wait for the 2010 sundance film schedule to be released not too long from now

“super” . is due to start filming within the next 4 to 5 weeks, that seems to be a definate comfirmation based on info on the web, and as you mentioned, being a indie movie and with limited budget, the release date should not take more than a few months after filming wraps up, i am expecting it to be released before Inception, i doubt the fact that the expected release of the movie to compete against the big budget movies has anything to do with it…based on your remarks above, it seems that you expect the movie release to be delayed till after the summer? possible, but then again, unlikely. watch press for details
Anne

“Someone is WAY too sensitive.”

Somehow it doesn’t surprise me that after being called on your rude behaviour you’re still not an adult enough to either admit it, or express any form of contrition. You’ve confirmed in my eyes – and probably those that have been following this discussion as well – that you are indeed a hypocrite. You comment on another poster’s rude and inappropriate behaviour, and then go and behave rudely, yourself? Pot, kettle, black, dude.

But whatever, I’m not going to waste anymore time on you.

Vinay, with regards to Peacock and TIFF, didn’t Ellen have two movies debuting there in 2007? She had Juno and American Crime, I believe. As for Super, I don’t believe anyone, least of all the producers/backers expect it to be able to compete against the blockbusters released in May. As such, I think it’s a poor strategic movie to release it then. They simply won’t get enough exposure then, and the big hollywood releases will monopolize the theaters. A better strategic move is to actually release Super after Inception. Nolan’s Inception is likely the summer movie of 2010. And if the pics and news of Ellen in this movie are anything to go by, she’ll have a major role. Inception is likely going to boost Ellen’s career and profile even more, so it’s a better marketing strategy to release Super after Inception, when there’s still buzz about her in the media. An early Fall release date, imo, is a smarter move. It’s after the summer blockbusters have been out, and before the “serious” oscar contender movies are released in November/December.
vinay

come on guys, leave it be, this is a friendly thread, everyone is just sharing info and opinions.. no need to get at one another

i believe An American Crime made its debut at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, but i recall the press release by the organisers of TIFF in September stating they would allow another indie movie to debut instead of another of Ellens movies

i do agree that from a marketing point of view it would be benefit the studios to release “super” after Ellen’s leading role in Inception, but i doubt the public would overlook the movie over any of the summer big name blockbusters.

if you recall Juno was a small budget movie which was released around the November 2007 period, and was never expected to compete with the oscar contenders at that time, yet the movie turned out to be a worlwide hit.

i guess its just speculation on our part, Hollywood would release movies what they would beleive is marketable value, but it certainly is going to be an interesting year for ellen
Eternalist

What was offensive, insulting or inappropriate? A simple joke? It’s people like you that kill all the fun and take everything WAY too seriously and get “insulted”. Just because I’m not uptight makes me immature? I’ve joked with many members of this site and afterward they’ve laughed it off/not cared and moved on with their day. Only high and mighty people like you get “offended” and label me things like a troll. I’ve NEVER intentionally insulted anyone on this site (maybe peteagassi, but he deserves it) and no one’s ever been offended.
Take a seat. Have a drink. You look like a person who takes themselves too seriously. Do you want my opinion? You need to lighten up.
Anne

Eternalist,

Your initial comment definitely did not come off as a joke. The comment was insulting by way of inference. The fact that you capitalized the word, “way”, definitely emphasized that the comment was meant to be insulting and derogatory.

When I called you out on it being rude, what did you do? You didn’t take ownership of your remark or try and clarify it, but react with another rude comment and say that I’m too sensitive. Well, you want to know my opinion? I think you’re rather insensitive. If you were really joking, you could have put a smiley emoticon on your statement, or followed-up with a ‘just joking’ comment.

And incidentally, how or why do you expect anyone not to take offense with your remarks? It seems to me that you’re trying to re-write history, and now say that you were joking when you weren’t. And let’s face it, the remarks are trollish – and the general accepted definition of trolling is posting rude and inflammatory remarks – which, imo, is what you did. Tell me something (and the rest of the board too, who are likely following this thread), would *you* have reacted positively or laughed it off if a stranger directed this comment to you, “Someone has WAY too much time on their hands.” As I said earlier, the tone is definitely rude, and comes across as snide too.

Even in your semi-apology now, you still come off as offensive, implying that I’m “uptight” and calling me “high and mighty.” Dude, this is not a way to build bridges or extend the olive branch.

All that said, in does seem that in your own bizarre way, you are trying for rapprochement. Therefore in the interest of settling matters and moving on, your “apology” such as it is, is accepted.

Vinay, I did some research, and Ellen had *three* movies that debuted at TIFF in 2007: Juno, The Tracey Fragments, and The Stone Angel. This is why I’m somewhat sceptical about TIFF allegedly pulling Peacock at this year’s festival. Hell, if she had three movies playing in 2007, why not have two of her movies playing at TIFF 2009? Also, once the organizers agree to debut a movie, I think it’s like a contract. Breaking it may cause legal difficulties, or at the very least, ill will on the part of the movie producers. On the other hand, if both producers and organizers agreed to pull it from the schedule for whatever reason, then maybe everything was copacetic.

“if you recall Juno was a small budget movie which was released around the November 2007 period, and was never expected to compete with the oscar contenders at that time, yet the movie turned out to be a worlwide hit.”

Yes, I do recall that. And it was because Juno was the darling of TIFF 2007, and the fact that everyone, critics and audiences alike, loved, loved that movie that Fox Searchlight, the studio distributing the movie, began to agressively market it in North America. As the film became the little indie movie that could, and as more and more film critics praised Ellen’s performance which resulted in her Best Actress nomination, that Fox went global with pushing Juno in a marketing blitz.

I personally think that Super being released in May is commercial sucide. Unless it garners incredible word of mouth, it will get lost in the sea of summer blockbusters being released at that time. I think they’re far better off debuting the film at TIFF 2010. This will be on the heels of Inception’s release in July 2010, and right before the Oscar contenders that usually debut in Nov/Dec. So an Autumn release could be the best bet and place for this movie to find it’s niche and audience.
Eternalist

It was a JOKE! You’re on the bloody internet for God’s sake! Chill the hell out!
vinay

anne..doesnt look like “peacock” is being released at the sundance film festival? i see the movie lineout on the website…

i guess it may go dirently to DVD ..quite frustating
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Eternalist

Yep, Anne, you still have WAY too much time on your hands, and you’re still WAY too sensitive.
Eternalist

You filthy whore.