14 DAY TRIAL // Tom Hardy may have just shot himself in the foot, after telling Vulture in a new Skype interview how much he disliked directors who didn’t contribute to the script of the film because he believed there was no use for them.
The British actor is now promoting “Legend,” in which he plays the double role of the Kray twins, real-life mobsters who ruled London in the ’50 and the ‘60s. The comment was made in reference to how he likes to be kept in the loop and involved in the creative process of making a film.
Hardy, as his fans must know, is not the kind of actor who just shows up, says his lines and then leaves. He wants to be really involved, which occasionally leads to on-set conflicts between himself and other stars or his directors.
“Why are you here?”
For instance, he tells the publication, he will ask the director to show him footage shot on a day’s work and to offer him feedback on what he should do next.
From the interview, it’s clear that Hardy is perfectly ok with taking directions, as long as he’s also allowed to voice his opinion. Another thing Hardy is known for is coming up with suggestions on how to render a character better, which is not something all directors take kindly to.
To them, as well as to those who don’t write scripts and just show up on set to impose their vision, Hardy has one thing to say: “Why are you here?”
“A writer comes with nothing and he writes something down and there’s a story,” he says. “Then a bunch of actors come along, and people can watch that. Then a third person comes along and says, ‘I really love what you guys are doing. And if you’d just do it the way I see it, we’d really be onto something.’ And there’s part of me that goes: ‘Why are you here?’ A director who hasn’t written something, and they say, ‘Trust me.’ And I’m like, ‘With what, mate?’.”
In the industry of film, where directors are revered regardless of whether they communicate with the actors or not, it’s not a good idea to burn bridges by saying such things.
The reputation of being a difficult man to work with
In the same interview, Hardy owns once more his “difficult” reputation. He says that he’s not out to challenge people for the sake of doing it, and insists that he’s thriving for excellence.
This desire of delivering the best he can, coupled with the fact that some people don’t like being contradicted, can cause conflicts between himself and others. He pays them little mind once they’re over and will not apologize for having an opinion and making it heard.
At the end of the day, he says, as long as the entire team put out quality stuff, he trusts everyone’s a professional and doesn't hold grudges.