Tom Hardy has been a very busy actor of late -- having won acclaim for the MMA drama "Warrior" as well as "Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy" opposite Oscar nominee Gary Oldman.
In fact, Hardy seems to have found a frequent co-star in Oldman, with roles opposite the actor again in "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Wettest County," both of which are due out later this year. And while he loves working with Oldman, Hardy said he's got to give other co-stars a chance once in a while -- and he definitely loves his company in the new romance-flavored action comedy "This Means War."
"I have the best co-stars in 'This Means War' -- Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine are brilliant," Hardy told me in a recent interview. "Chris is one of the most talented American actors I've worked with. He's just great fun, quick-witted and has an old school movie star quality to him. He's Cary Grant and Clark Gable-ish and has a bit of Harrison Ford mixed in there as well.
"And Reese, of course, is the quintessential queen of the romantic comedy, certainly from my generation," Hardy added. "She's a great comedian, so to get the opportunity to work with her was outstanding."
In "This Means War," sneak peeking in theaters Valentine's Day and opening nationwide on Friday, Hardy and Pine play Tuck and FDR, respectively, best buddies and inseparable partners in the CIA who encounter perhaps their most difficult mission yet: to win the heart of Laura (Witherspoon), who each of them has fallen in love with.
Suddenly, two of the world's most dangerous CIA operatives find themselves pitted against each other, and discover that, despite their lethal skills as spies, they're each sorely lacking the wherewithal to be the prospective romantic partner of the woman who happens to fancy them both.
Hardy has been working non-stop since director Guy Ritchie's vastly underappreciated action caper "RocknRolla," and has since then mainly found himself in roles in the drama and action genres with "Bronson," "Warrior," "Tinker, Tailor" and "The Dark Knight Rises."
And while "RocknRolla" probably comes the closest to "This Means War's" comedic tone, director McG and his fellow filmmakers have said it was Hardy's role as the forger Eames in director Christopher Nolan's mind-bending espionage masterpiece "Inception" that suited the British actor perfectly for the role of Tuck. In one of many ways it makes sense, if you think about it, since Tuck is effectively trying to get into Laura's head.
"Definitely, Eames in 'Inception' was Christopher Nolan's ode to Roger Moore's James Bond," observed Hardy of Tuck's suave spy characteristics. "I think (my character, Handsome Bob) in 'RocknRolla' is a similar type of character to Tuck in the way I portrayed him, and the way I used my accent for the role."
Hardy said he's jazzed about playing Tuck in "This Means War" because it gives him a chance to dabble in a different style of acting.
"There's presentational acting for characters and representational acting," Hardy explained. "One is to present a character in all his camouflage and forms, like Bronson, and the other one is to represent a human being going through a set of certain circumstances and doesn't have to camouflage himself in huge suits of armor to play the character. 'This Means War' is representational acting. I get to represent a human being in an environment. So it's more like me in a situational comedy as opposed to putting a character on."
While Hardy has played comedy in the past on films, television and stage, there's no question his film projects have fallen heavily of late on the dramatic side. So, even though he got to play a character more like himself, he had to do it in a comedic matter -- and doing comedy he said, isn't easy.
"The comedy that speaks to me the most, that I find closest to home, comes from clowns -- French clowns. Real clown work," said Hardy, 34. "You have to be very serious. What the character is doing is very important and they need to be heard, it just has to be juxtaposed against something that's happening that's really remote. So the comedy comes from the circumstances. You try not to be funny. The comedy literally comes from the circumstances, or the quick wittedness and quips, or chemistry and alchemy between several characters trying to get something done."
Or sometimes, he added, all it takes is just getting shot in the groin with a paintball by Witherspoon.
"Ah, the pleasure we get from other people's misfortunes," Hardy lamented with a laugh. "Those are the kinds of things that always make people laugh. It's a very natural type of comedy that's in the moment. Comedy is a kind of a hit and miss thing."
And there's no question this one was a direct hit.
Speaking of other potential hits, but one that involves some physical, bone-crunching action, the clock is ticking at five months and counting for the release the Nolan's insanely anticipated third and final chapter in the Batman trilogy with "The Dark Knight Rises."
On the constant buzz surrounding his role as the film's strongman villain, Bane, Hardy admitted that the anticipation and the expectations of fans are weighing on his mind. Ultimately, though, he takes comfort in Nolan's incredible handle on the art of filmmaking.
"I just want it to be successful, and I have every faith in Chris Nolan that it will be a success because he is the Batman franchise," Hardy said. "He didn't let anyone down with the last two, so (to be a part of the new film) is really exciting and I just don't want to disappoint anybody. I'm really excited."
Until that time, Hardy will continue doing his best to make moviegoers wonder what sort of character he will play next.
Having worn a wig for "Tinker, Tailor" and clean-shaven head clean for "The Dark Knight Rises," Hardy -- who got to sport his healthy head of hair for "This Means War," said he's happy to let it all grow out for the film he's currently working on: director George Miller's own re-imaging of a classic 1980s action thriller in which Hardy is playing the title role.
"I've grown a beard for 'Mad Max.' It's longer than the hair on my head right now," Hardy quipped.
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