For the 19th century novelist and poet, see Thomas Hardy
For Nelson's flag captain, see Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet
Edward Thomas Hardy (born September 15, 1977) is an English stage, film and television actor, better known simply as Tom Hardy.
Hailing from Hammersmith, London Hardy began his career in war dramas. He studied at the prestigious Drama Centre, but left early for the part of United States Army Private John Janovec in the award-winning HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. He made his feature film debut in Ridley Scott's war thriller Black Hawk Down (2001).
In 2002, Hardy remained in the United Kingdom for the independent film Dot the i, sharing the bill with Gael García Bernal. He then traveled to North Africa for Simon: An English Legionnaire, a story of the French Foreign Legion. In the same year, he gained some heavy international exposure as the Reman Praetor Shinzon, a clone of USS Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Nemesis. He returned to England to feature in the 2003 thriller LD 50 Lethal Dose.
Hardy was awarded the 2003 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his performances in Blood and Arabia, We'd All Be Kings performed at the Royal Court Theatre and Hampstead Theatre. He was also nominated for a 2004 Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer of 2003 in a Society of London Theatre Affiliate for his performance in the aforementioned production of Arabia, We'd All Be Kings.
Hardy appears in the 2005 BBC miniseries The Virgin Queen as Robert Dudley, a childhood friend of Elizabeth. The miniseries portrays them as having a love affair throughout her reign over England during the sixteenth century. Hardy recently featured in the Richard Fell adaptation of the 1960s sci-fi series A for Andromeda, on the BBC digital television station BBC Four.
This accomplished actor is not to be confused with the Radio Caroline disc-jockey of the same name.
