Tom Hardy’s feature debut was Ridley Scott’s 2001 war thriller, “Black Hawk Down,” and he made his television breakout the same year with the HBO war drama, “Band of Brothers.” Easily one of the best HBO miniseries ever made, “Band of Brothers” featured Hardy in the supporting role of Private John A. Janovec, while the likes of Michael Cudlitz and Scott Grimes were part of the main cast. After making an appearance in “Star Trek: Nemesis” and “The Virgin Queen,” Hardy played the leading role of Heathcliff in ITV’s two-episode 2009 adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.”
This interpretation of Emily Brontë’s classic gothic romance follows the basic beats of the story, where the orphan Heathcliff is brought to Wuthering Heights as a child by Mr. Earnshaw (Kevin McNally). His daughter, Catherine (Charlotte Riley, who would go on to star in “Peaky Blinders” alongside Hardy a few years later) eventually falls in love with Heathcliff, but their bond is doomed and obsessive from the get-go.
Although a competent adaptation, “Wuthering Heights” lacks the psychological depth of Brontë’s beloved novel, despite a convincing central performance by Hardy as the brooding, volatile Heathcliff. The miniseries also stars Andrew Lincoln of “The Walking Dead” fame as Edgar Linton, a refined aristocrat who later becomes Cathy’s love interest.
Wuthering Heights is not the only period drama Tom Hardy appeared in
Tom Hardy boasts an impressive body of work in film alone, including his turn as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises” and Eddie Brock in the “Venom” movies. That said, Hardy has starred in several TV shows that you should watch at least once, including the overlooked period drama, “Taboo.”
In this BBC series, Hardy plays 19th-century adventurer and businessman James Delaney, who navigates the seedy underbelly of London, which is overrun with criminal activity and corruption. Hardy’s strengths as a performer are on clear display here, as he plays Delaney’s enigmatic amorality with great theatricality and nuance. “Taboo” was renewed for a second season in 2017, and the show might still return despite experiencing such a long hiatus.
Hardy’s notable television credits also include “MobLand,” where he plays the crime-family fixer, Harry Da Souza. He has appeared in popular films like “Inception,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Dunkirk,” and “The Bikeriders,” among others. Hardy also won the BAFTA EE Rising Star Award in 2011, along with the 2016 Critics’ Choice Award for best actor in an action movie for playing Max Rockatansky in “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
