I don't understand the Tom Hardy love

[Jheri Curl]

Nothing I've seen him do, and I've seen him in Warrior, Bronson, Inception, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, even approaches the early work of Crowe, DiCaprio, and the burgeoning Gosling (Romper Stomper, Gilbert Grape/Basketball Diaries, and The Believer) or even Fassbender's work in Hunger, Inglourious Basterds, and X-Men: First Class, yet this guy is trumpeted as some kind of legend, "the next Brando", etc.

 

[The Morningstar]

The Take, Warrior and Bronson are fantastic performances. But i'd agree, he doesn't show as much range as those other actors you mentioned.

The range and varied performances from Gosling and Fassbender is simply... staggering.

That said, just because an actor plays similar types of roles doesn't mean they can't be brilliant. Bronson for example is one of the best acting performances i've ever seen.

 

[flickchick85]

He was brilliant in The Take and Stuart: A Life Backwards, imo. I'd say those, along with Bronson, put him easily on par with Crowe in his Romper Stomper days, imo.

 

[Jheri Curl]

The Take, Warrior and Bronson are fantastic performances. But i'd agree, he doesn't show as much range as those other actors you mentioned.

The range and varied performances from Gosling and Fassbender is simply... staggering.

That said, just because an actor plays similar types of roles doesn't mean they can't be brilliant. Bronson for example is one of the best acting performances i've ever seen.

I wasn't impressed by his Bronson. I didn't sense any real interiority to the character, just Hardy's physical presence stalking around.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I think he's shown tremendous range so I disagree. I didn't understand the hype either and then I watched his films.

People are allowed to have different opinions that mine though so eh.

BTW: I was about to start this thread about Taylor Kitsch but it wasn't going to be as nice.

 

[The Morningstar]

I'd disagree. The scene for example when he first comes out of prison and is sitting in that flat with all these women around him, and he's nervous and anxious. There was a lot more to that performance than just being an animal and a liberal use of the c word.

But really, it's what the role called for, and he nailed it. Charles Bronson is a ****ing animal.

 

[Blue Sugar]

Tom Hardy is amazing. The way he conveys feelings and personality with just body-language and his eyes, is astounding to me in some instances.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Tom Hardy is a very intense method actor. He transforms himself into the character but I suppose one could make the argument that Hardy hasn't chosen many roles that offer more range. Yet Tom has done a stellar job with the roles he has been given. Oldman and Nolan praise the hell out of the guy, and rightfully so.

I can't wait to see him as Bane, Mad Max and Capone.

 

[venus_ice]

I sense this thread being really popular in a about 60 days with people who magically "don't understand" why a good performance is somehow enjoyed by others.

I still say his work in The Take and Stuart are his best though.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Tom Hardy is a very intense method actor. He transforms himself into the character but I suppose one could make the argument that Hardy hasn't chosen many roles that offer more range. Yet Tom has done a stellar job with the roles he has been given. Oldman and Nolan praise the hell out of the guy, and rightfully so.

I can't wait to see him as Bane, Forest Bondurant, Mad Max and Capone.

 

[The Morningstar]

He was just ridiculously good in The Take.

 

[Octoberist]

When you got Hollywood execs touting dudes like Taylor Kitch as the next big thing*, you open your arms WIDE to a dude like Tom Hardy.

He has a certain old school bravado that most actors now lack. With him and Fassbender, they are charismatic presence who are super talented who have that 'je ne said quoin that we need in Modern Hollywood.. so I welcome them.

Thank you, Tom Hardy.

*I don't relish in Taylor Kitch's failures and I know he was good on Friday Night Lights, but I just don't think he's the leading man type. He doesn't have that 'it' factor.

 

[venus_ice]

And it also helps that he's an amazingly likeable guy on top of all of his acting abilities. He may not be the best actor alive but his repertoire is building pretty significantly. He's got a lot of US and UK productions coming up on the horizon with WB and the BBC plus other films projects. That doesn't happen to people who are mediocre actors.

 

[Blue Sugar]

Range is quite overrated by people sometimes too, great acting is great acting no matter how diverse or not the roles are. And it's not like he is playing himself in these "similar roles". Roles that I also argue might seem more similar on the surface than they actually are.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

When you got Hollywood execs touting dudes like Taylor Kitch as the next big thing*, you open your arms WIDE to a dude like Tom Hardy.

He has a certain old school bravado that most actors now lack. With him and Fassbender, they are charismatic presence who are super talented who have that 'je ne said quoin that we need in Modern Hollywood.. so I welcome them.

Thank you, Tom Hardy.

*I don't relish in Taylor Kitch's failures and I know he was good on Friday Night Lights, but I just don't think he's the leading man type. He doesn't have that 'it' factor.

This... except I do relish in bad actor's failures. I'm not wishing death on him or anything and I'm not saying that he wasn't good on that show but he might have just been good for that one character and nothing more. He might just be a male version of January Jones. I'm not level headed about things like this, I don't wish bad actors good luck because they might infect movies that I am interested in.

Range is quite overrated by people sometimes too, great acting is great acting no matter how diverse or not the roles are. And it's not like he is playing himself in these "similar roles". Roles that I also argue might seem more similar on the surface than they actually are.

I agree but I think that Hardy does have range. I'm not dismissing the thread starter's opinion it's just that I totally disagree. IMHO he is a very good actor who has very good range.

 

[flickchick85]

I too think Hardy has shown fantastic range. Even his relatively small role in Black Hawk Down was utterly different from what anyone expects from him. Stuart, Wuthering Heights, Bronson, Inception, Tinker Tailor...all completely different types of roles.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I too think Hardy has shown fantastic range. Even his relatively small role in Black Hawk Down was utterly different from what anyone expects from him. Stuart, Wuthering Heights, Bronson, Inception, Tinker Tailor...all completely different types of roles.

Preach it gurl!

 

[lililatigresse]

I think Tom Hardy is the new Russell Crowe. Most actors are so bland but Hardy has talent, intensity and charisma like Crowe. He also seems fearless, he just needs to chose better or more showy roles now that he is in Hollywood.

I'm so over DiCaprio, it's like he's playing the same character again and again, he's such a lazy actor. I'm sick of seeing him do the same facial expressions again and again. He needs to realize that he's not DeNiro, drop Scosese and diversify asap. It's a shame really because he was great in Gilbert Grape.

Fassbender was great in Hunger and Shame, ok in Inglorious Basterds. I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I did not like him in X-Men but that's mostly because his French in the beginning was so awful (was it even French?). I could not take him seriously. I know it's not really his fault but they should have dubbed him or made him speak English because it ruined the character for me. I could not help but laugh! And that's unforgivable because Magneto is the only Marvel character that I love.

I just don't understand the Gosling love. I find him wooden. Just because a north american actor does indie films and is popular because most women find him hot, does not make him a great actor.

I love how Hardy can shine in non showy roles, that's charisma!

 

[The Morningstar]

I do think he's shown range. But i mean, compared to Gosling and Fassbender? I'd say their roles have been more varied and brave. Gosling's range is ridiculous. Going from a violent Nazi skin head, to a junkie teacher, to a smooth playboy, to a socially inept virgin, to a quietly unassuming sociopath, a hot shot lawyer. And Fassbender is one of the bravest actors i've ever seen. Hunger and Shame is some scary stuff.

 

[DoomsdayApex]

Hardy has stated his nervousness over his accent issues but I believe he's done a great job for Lawless thus far.

 

[venus_ice]

I love how Hardy can shine in non showy roles, that's charisma!

This

I think Tom and Fassbender will be 2 names in British talent you'll hear for years to come. They're both associated with serious acting chops and a lot of people will want to work with them in the future.

I'd compare Gosling more to JGL. But they're both great actors in their own right.

Really feel like rewatching The Take. The character he plays is just a ****ing awful person. His girlfriend is great in her role too.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Gosling hasn't shown more range than Hardy and I love the Gos but he just hasn't.

 

[The Morningstar]

How so? I mean, in the Believer he played an aggressive, violent neo Nazi. In Half Nelson he played a strung out teacher trying to sort his life out. In Fracture he played a smarmy hot shot lawyer. In Lars and the Real Girl he played a socially inept and deluded virgin. In Stupid Crazy Love he played the smoothest mutha****er you'll ever see. Then in Drive he played this quiet and unassuming sociopath who had a penchant for stomping peoples heads into mush.

And every single one of those performances was brilliant.

 

[Boom]

Black Hawk Down
Stuart: A Life Backwards
The Take
RocknRolla
Bronson
Warrior
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

And he looks to deliver some very good performances in The Dark Knight Rises and Lawless.

I don't know if I'd go far enough to name him the next Marlon Brando, but he's easily one of my favorite actors working today - right alongside Michael Fassbender.

 

[The Morningstar]

Yea, Hardy, DAT FASS and Gosling are my favourites of that age range right about now.