ACTORS & Skin: Tom Hardy

'I'm an actor, of course I've had gay sex.'

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy isn't just one of the sexiest actors working today, he's also one of the most outwardly sexual.  Tom displays a erotic edge on screen that has been there from the very beginning of his career.  Even before he was really famous, Tom was sharing sensual shots back in the days when he posted thirst traps on his old Myspace page. (2 pics below)

On film, Tom has never shied away from provocative parts, and has taken risks, with both with unlikable and troubled characters. He's also taken risks that most actors would not when it comes to roles requiring nude scenes.   One could certainly say it was big risk for Tom to take on the iconic role of Mad Max.  

Mel Gibson was so synonymous to the role, it was difficult for some fans to accept another actor in the role.   That was until... they saw the film and Tom in the role.  I love that Max in some ways is such a stereotypical masculine action role, yet Tom's feelings on his own masculinity are so fascinating, relatable and real.

''A lot of gay men get my thing for shoes.  I have definite feminine qualities, and a lot of gay men are incredibly masculine  'A lot of people say I seem masculine, I don't feel it.  I feel intrinsically feminine. I'd love to be one of the boys, but I always felt a bit on the outside.  Maybe my masculine qualities come from overcompensating because I'm not one of them.''

In addition to his intense sensuality, from stories and accounts that I've read, much like his characters, Tom is both a complex actor and man.  Reading Kyle Buchanan's book, it was clear that the Fury Road set was not an easy one to work on. In many of the quoted accounts, Hardy was often at the center of much of the stress and many of the struggles.   If you've seen the film, you can understand why confusion was ripe and why the actors might require clarity..  

There is almost no dialogue, even for the two main characters.  I'm guessing Hardy's lines could be squeezed onto just a page or two of paper, with many of them being grunts and one work responses.  Hardy and Theron are reported to have had conflict from the get go, and it wasn't until a climatic scene near the end of the film, that they began to appreciate each others' talent.  Hardy struggled to get a handle on the film's vision and was on George Miller throughout the shoot for concrete answers to his questions.  For his part, Miller wanted Hardy to trust in the process, something Hardy was never really able to do during the shooting of the film.

It wasn't until Hardy saw the final cut on screen that he really gained appreciation for Miller's process and the work they created together.  Regardless of the struggles the two may have had,  they either eventually worked them out, or decided to put them aside.  Both Miller and Hardy have signed on to a new Mad Max film due to begin production in the near future.    Check out part 2 (the SKIN) below: