Tom Hardy has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors as a result of his excellent work in a variety of roles. All eyes, however, were on him for his portrayal of the oddball Jewish gangster ‘Alfie Solomons’ in the British period crime drama, Peaky Blinders.
His character in Peaky Blinders was often terrifying but also had a tender side, which instantly and steadfastly won the hearts of the audience. Do you know that Solomons got his inspiration from a place that was appropriately bizarre?
Yes, you would find this weird that Alfie Solomons, a beloved character in Peaky Blinders, was strangely modeled after a bear. And this was confirmed by the Venom star himself, who played the character (Alfie Solomons).
Yes, it is exactly the kind of absurd notion you might picture in accordance with the wacky gangster in the show.
In an interview for the Obsessed With Peaky Blinders podcast, director Colm McCarthy described his peculiar conversation with the 45-year-old actor.
Tom Hardy’s Unpredictable Character
One of the most well-known actors in Hollywood, Tom Hardy made an impact on the field with his outstanding performances in shows like Peaky Blinders. Director Colm McCarthy once spoke about working with the Legend actor on the podcast Obsessed With Peaky Blinders.
McCarthy recalled a day when Hardy dropped by the set before filming for his part, as the cast was scouting locations for the season premiere scene. The scene took place at Communist Freddie Thorne’s (Iddo Goldberg) funeral.
When asked about how they managed to sign the Mad Max: Fury Road actor, McCarthy replied:
“The Tom Hardy thing was mad. I remember we were on the tech recces [pre-production tech scouting] and I was wandering around the graveyard…Tom was thinking about doing it and he’d had a look at it and he wanted to kind of chat to me about what he was thinking of doing.”
Apparently, Hardy had a rather specific idea in mind when it came to bringing Alfie Solomons to life. The Scottish television director further continued:
“He [Tom Hardy] had this whole conversation where he was talking about being a bear. It’s raining and the crew are standing there looking at me like, ‘What is he doing there in this graveyard, under a tree, having this conversation with Tom Hardy about being a bear?’ And I was like, ‘So you want a beard?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah.’ And I was like, ‘Cool, that sounds awesome, that sounds wicked.'”
Tom Hardy Knew ‘What he was doing there’
Along with growing a beard, Tom Hardy appeared to have had a big hand in shaping the physicality of his character—from his appearance to his distinctive accent. In an interview for the BBC’s Movies With Ali Plumb, Colm Murphy said:
“You never quite know what to expect with Tom, but he absolutely, I mean, that character came fully formed. He just absolutely knew what he was doing there.”
Whatever the method, the outcome is undeniable, as Alfie Solomons is one of the show’s greatest characters and is so adored. Even though Peaky Blinders appears to have ended its run as a television series for good, a movie sequel is in the works. Thus, it is possible that the ‘bear’ is still around.
And though there has been no official confirmation, fans are eagerly awaiting to see Alfie Solomons in the Peaky Blinders movie once more.
Therefore, it is safe to say that the iconic role of Alfie Solomons that Tom Hardy played in Peaky Blinders, best displayed his acting prowess. The character also had some of the most memorable lines in the entire series that clicked well with his co-star, Cillian Murphy.
It makes sense why many people think Hardy was the best fit for this role. His exceptional acting skills helped him establish himself as a beloved and enduring character (Alfie Solomons) in the Peaky Blinders universe.
You can watch Peaky Blinders, available for streaming on Netflix.
Source – Obsessed With Peaky Blinders
