Tom Hardy had been a part of several successful ventures over the years. From George Miller to Christopher Nolan, he has collaborated with some of the best filmmakers. However, one collaboration didn’t end like the others. Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn didn’t get along when they were working on Bronson and the actor never wanted to work with the latter again.
Bronson was released in 2008 and focused on the life of one of the most dangerous English prisoners Charles Bronson. The role was initially offered to Jason Statham and Guy Pearce but both of them turned it down and it was eventually bagged by Tom Hardy. Although the Venom actor was very committed to the role, he and Nicolas Winding Refn shared an unpleasant bond.
What led Tom Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn to clash?
We have often seen projects where the filmmaker-actor duo go through several issues leading to differences. Tom Hardy and Nicolas Winding Refn also witnessed a not-so-amazing bond as their personalities didn’t go well with one another.
Since the very first meeting, Nicolas Winding Refn didn’t have a very good feeling about the Bane actor. Their first interaction occurred at a wine bar which was not a good place for a meeting between a non-alcoholic and an ex-alcoholic. Even though he was later selected for the flick, things didn’t work well between the actor and the filmmaker. Hardy stated to The Interview magazine:
“We just rubbed each other the wrong way and continued to rub each other the wrong way”
Hardy also added that there are often many disappointments between many stars and directors. It might lead to disagreements but he loved working with him. Surprisingly, his statement took a sharp turn when he publicly stated in a Reddit AMA about not working with Refn again- “No, I don’t plan on ever doing any work with Refn again, I think he’s better off where he is, doing well without me.”
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Despite the differences, Tom Hardy played the role with full commitment and effort. He shaved his head and built a physique that was even praised by the OG Bronson himself. It was reported that the Inception actor even had phone calls with Charles Bronson for his preparation. Bronson was so impressed that he even shared his mustache with Hardy to be used as a prop.
Tom Hardy also had a feud against Charlize Theron
It was not the first time in Bronson when Tom Hardy lost his cool. The actor also had an ugly feud with Charlize Theron while filming his critically acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road. The Eddie Brock fame had a notorious reputation for reaching late on set.
On the other hand, Theron was very punctual and always used to reach early. This caused major tension on set when Tom Hardy reached the set insanely late for a meeting even after repeated warnings. When finally Hardy arrived, Theron went full ballistic on the Peaky Blinders actor. But instead of understanding his mistake, Tom Hardy also became aggressive and charged up to her.
It was such an unpleasant incident that the Furiosa actress wanted someone as protection on the set. Even though both of them apologized later, it stands as one of the most unforgettable feuds ever and sheds more light on the character of Hardy.
Bronson can be streamed on Prime Video.
