One of British cinema’s most beloved and instantly recognizable faces,Tom Hardyhas carved out a niche for himself as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after names. Earning his reputation off the back of an array of superb performances, the actor has breathed life into a diverse array of film characters across multiple genres. A frequent collaborator with Christopher Nolan,Hardy’s best movieshave seen him produce acclaimed bows in the likes ofThe Revenant,Mad Max: Fury Road, andWarrior.
While Tom Hardy is primarily known for his work on the silver screen, he has also featured in several prominent television shows. Hardy actually made his acting debut in one of the most lauded and influential miniseries of all time with a minor appearance inHBO’sBand of Brothers, with the Englishman going on to have roles in the acclaimed likes ofPeaky BlindersandTabooin tandem with his film career. A versatile performer of the highest order who can play heroic to villainous and everything in between, some of Hardy’s television bows actually number among his most memorable.
Band of Brothers
Cast
Band of Brothers is a 2001 HBO miniseries chronicling Easy Company’s experiences from paratrooper training to World War II’s end. It portrays their participation in pivotal battles such as D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s book and first-hand accounts from surviving members.
One of thebest miniseries for a weekend binge,HBO’sBand of Brotherschronicles WWII from the perspective of Easy Company, the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Created bySaving Private Ryanalums Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the ten-episode war drama was acclaimed for its immersive depiction of war, highlighting the horrors of the conflict with unflinching clarity while simultaneously paying tribute to the sacrifices of the real-life combatants. The miniseries features an ensemble cast, among them, a certain young actor in his first major role named Tom Hardy.
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Playing Private John Janovec,Hardy only has a minor background role in proceedingsbut still produces a few memorable moments and soundbites before his character dies tragically in a car accident just after the war comes to an end. Appearing in the final two episodes of the series, Hardy’s most prominent involvement is during the harrowing sequence depicting Easy Company’s liberation of a concentration camp, helping to capture the sense of horror and shock that such an appalling discovery would have precipitated.
The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen is a historical drama miniseries focusing on the life of Elizabeth I of England. Released in 2006, it covers her transition from potential victim to ruler, her relationship with Robert Dudley, her triumph over the Spanish Armada, and her later years with the Earl of Essex.
A four-part historical drama miniseries from the BBC,The Virgin Queenchronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth I. The final monarch of the House of Tudor, the series draws its name from the fact that Elizabeth never married despite numerous courtships. FeaturingSex Education’sAnne-Marie Duff in the titular role, the miniseries sees Tom Hardy take the role of Robert Dudley, withThe Virgin Queendepicting a clandestine romance between the pair that is often speculated upon by historians.
The chemistry between theVenomalum and his co-star Duff is evident from the pair’s first scene together, serving to lend an air of authenticity and a further layer of emotional investment to proceedings.
Cast in his biggest television role to date,Hardy turns in a typically charismatic bow as the 1st Earl of Leicester.The chemistry between theVenomalum and his co-star Duff is evident from the pair’s first scene together, serving to lend an air of authenticity and a further layer of emotional investment to one of thebest shows about Elizabeth the First. Consistently tugging on the heartstrings across three episodes, the pair constructs a convincing and evocative snapshot of the relationship between the two historical figures assuredly.
6Colditz
Jack Rose
A war drama directed by Stewart Orme and boasting an ensemble cast featuring Damian Lewis and Sophia Myles, 2005’s miniseriesColditzrecounts the tales of various prisoners of war who attempted to escape from the titular prison camp during WWII. The series' premise also features a complex love triangle involving the aforementioned Lewis and Myles' characters, one that is completed by Tom Hardy’s Lieutenant Jack Rose.
Depicting Rose’s desperate attempts to escape prison and prevent Lewis' duplicitous Nicholas McGrade from seducing his girlfriend back home,Colditzdoesn’t break any new ground but undoubtedly benefits from Hardy’s assured performanceand inimitable screen presence. Making the most of a limited premise and an uncomplicated dramatic charge in impressive fashion, theMad Maxstar keeps this middling war drama steadily ticking over with his grounded take on Rose.
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights (2009) is a British television film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, directed by Coky Giedroyc. The film stars Tom Hardy as the brooding Heathcliff and Charlotte Riley as the passionate Catherine Earnshaw. Set on the remote Yorkshire moors, this version explores the intense and turbulent relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine, against a backdrop of vengeance and supernatural elements.
Based on Emily Brontë’s classic 1847 novel of the same name,Wuthering Heightsis a two-part miniseries from British network ITV. Debuting in 2009, the ITV adaptation features Hardy in the famous role of Heathcliff, one half of a pair of doomed lovers that also includes Catherine Earnshaw, played by Hardy’s future wife Charlotte Riley. Capturing the tumultuous nature at the heart of his dramatic charge in sharp relief,Heathcliff stands as one of Hardy’s most underrated performances.
The thespian joins a long line of storied performers that includes Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, and Ralph Fiennes in playing Heathcliff, producing a superb take on Brontë’s iconic character. While the miniseries received mixed reviews and is not regarded as one of thebestWuthering Heightsadaptations, Hardy’s smoldering performance was lauded as one of its most notable elements of success. The undeniable chemistry between theLegendstar and his future wife carries the movie, lending desolating legitimacy to one of the more poignant love stories that literature has to offer.
4The Take
Freddie Jackson
An engaging adaptation of Martina Cole’s novel of the same name, 2009’sThe Takeis a four-part crime drama spearheaded by Tom Hardy in the leading role of Freddie Jackson.A brutish career criminal fresh off a stint in prison now returning to make a name for himself, Jackson is one of Hardy’s most unashamedly villainous roles to date; a deeply unsympathetic character without a single redeeming aspect that theLegendstar completely throws himself into portraying.
Hardy met his future wife, Charlotte Riley, for the first time while filmingThe Take.
Jackson might be one of Hardy’s most unlikable characters, but he’s undoubtedly one of the Englishman’s most impressive and memorable dramatic charges in terms of sheer authenticity. TheDunkirkstar is absolutely terrifying as Freddie, a volatile cocktail of brutal violence and sadistic malice brought to life in a performance that is as sinister as it is believable. Hardy’s electric screen chemistry with his future wife, Charlotte Riley, serves as the cherry on the cake for a notably underappreciated crime offering.
3Oliver Twist
Bill Sikes
One ofCharles Dickens’s best books,Oliver Twistserves as the inspiration for a five-episode television adaptation from the BBC. Debuting in 2007, the series features Hardy as one of Dickens' most prominent characters in the novel; Bill Sikes.A violent thug who Oliver encounters after being adopted into Fagin’s gang, Sikes is never seen without his faithful bull terrier, Bullseye; a coincidental tip of the hat to Hardy’s famous love for dogs.
Oliver Reed’s foreboding take on the character in 1968’sOliver!might have seemed scary, but he pales in comparison to Hardy’s version of Sikes.
The Englishman’s adaptability is on full display in his bow as Sikes, breathing life into one of Dickens' most notorious villains in unnervingly convincing fashion. Oliver Reed’s foreboding take on the character in 1968’sOliver!might have seemed scary, but he pales in comparison to Hardy’s version of Sikes. The Englishman captures his charge’s volatility and penchant for violence with terrifying authenticity, serving as a worthy antagonist for one of the best Dickens adaptations in recent memory.
taboo
In 1814, in the wake of his father’s death, British businessman James Delaney returns to England, having spent the past twelve years in Africa. As he has little to his name, he sets about trying to reclaim his inheritance, against the gritty backdrop of 19th century London’s political corruption, underhanded business practices, and criminal activity.
An eight-episode drama series created by Steven Knight and set during the 19th century,2017’sTaboosees Tom Hardy step into the role of James Delaney.An adventurer who is presumed dead after spending more than a decade in Africa, the mysterious Delaney returns to London following the death of his father. The series received positive reviews, with Hardy’s performance in the leading role highlighted as one of the show’s strongest aspects.
Steven Knight and Tom Hardy collaborations
TV series
Taboo (2017)
Hardy lends his trademark brooding gravitas to the character of Delaney, stealing every scene that he appears in off the back of his intense presence against the backdrop of a first-rate period drama. The moral ambiguity of Hardy’s vengeful charge affords him a wider degree of freedom in bringing this memorable anti-hero to life, a state of affairs that the Englishman leverages to its maximum.Taboohas its shortcomings, but Hardy’s bow as Delaney decidedly does not.
Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a historical crime drama created and written by Steven Knight and starring Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, and Helen McCrory. The television show is based on the gang, Peaky Blinders, a group that banded together after the end of World War I.
One of the most beloved and influential British series of all time,Peaky Blindersis a gangster epic focusing on a Birmingham crime family set in 1900s England. Starring Cillian Murphy in the leading role of Tommy Shelby, Steven Knight’s period crime drama sees the show’s titular gang encounter all manner of colorful supporting characters and villains across six seasons. These characters include a charismatic Jewish gangster from Camden Town by the name ofAlfie Solomons, brought to life by Tom Hardy in his finest television performance.
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A veteran of the First World War who uses a bakery as a cover for his distillery business, Alfie serves as the personification of the phrase"no honor among thieves.“An electric screen presence given to philosophical musings and unpredictable bouts of intense violence, Hardy crackles in every scene that he appears in as Solomons, clearly relishing the creative freedom afforded to him by such an atypical character. A series mainstay who appeared in thirteen episodes after being introduced in the show’s second season,Tom Hardyproved to be a compelling addition to an already first-rate show.
