Tom Hardy might be more accustomed to filling up movie theaters after appearing in the likes of “The Dark Knight Rises, ” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and “Venom,” but he has also made sure to spend some time on our television screens throughout his illustrious career. While only appearing in a select few shows over the years, there’s enough from Hardy’s time on television to be equally as entertaining as anything he’s done in the movies.
Some of Hardy’s earlier work was in supporting roles, but as the years have passed and his name gained recognition, he led shows by tackling complex and volatile individuals. From Victorian businessmen to crime family problem solvers, Hardy has done it all and delivered in the way only his signature style of grunts and screen-filling intimidation can. In fact, it was in a crime-riddled television drama that Hardy got one of his first big gigs, opposite a screen legend who’s known now more than ever for telling people to “f*** off.”
The Take
“The Take” is perhaps one of the hardest shows to track down on television nowadays. This miniseries brought the then-up-and-coming Tom Hardy center stage while pairing him with an equally revered titan of both television and film. In “The Take,” which was released on Sky1 in 2009 and is based on the novel of the same name, Hardy plays Freddie Jackson, an ex-con eager to return to the business that landed him in prison. Building his own little empire under the watchful eye of the still incarcerated Ozzy (played by Brian Cox of “Succession”), Freddie gets to work on returning to a life of crime, which proves to be a test for those closest to him.
This British crime drama is undoubtedly worth a look, if only to see a clearly hungry Hardy’s blossoming talent. Give it a watch, if only to see the early stages of Hardy mastering his routine of being very good at being a very bad guy.
Band of Brothers
Widely regarded as one of the greatest limited television shows ever made, “Band of Brothers” unquestionably thrived on its gut-wrenching performances, including Hardy’s small contribution. The show’s depiction of war earned it comparisons to “Saving Private Ryan,” which made sense given that Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks were executive producers. It told the true-life experiences of the legendary “Easy” Company, a parachute regiment in World War II, and introduced the world to talents like Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and “Billions” star Damian Lewis.
Hardy only appeared in two episodes near the end of the series as Private John A. Janovec, but one of them happened to be among the show’s most memorable and harrowing chapters, Episode 9, “Why We Fight.” The installment follows Easy Company’s discovery and liberation of the Kaufering concentration camps. And while Janovec doesn’t feature prominently in the episode, he has enough presence to provide a standout performance. Compared to other shows on this list, it’s certainly worth your time, if not only to check off what might be one of the most significant military dramas ever on television.
Taboo
“Taboo” quite possibly features Tom Hardy at his grumpiest. It is also one of the most frustrating of his series simply because we still don’t have a second season of it. Set in the early 19th century during the growing domination of the East India Trading Company, Hardy plays James Delaney, the owner of a small patch of land that the Trading Company is desperate to get a hold of. This conflict between one man and the greatest global power of the time tests Delaney’s life and sanity, to say the least.
The first season, released in 2017, was co-created by Hardy, along with his father, Chips Hardy, and “Peaky Blinders” writer Steven Knight. Venturing into darker territories than perhaps even the Shelby family has dared to tread, “Taboo” really is a project that Hardy needs to go back to. Fortunately, he has hinted that such plans are in place to do so. “We’re writing that at the moment,” the actor confirmed in an interview with LADbible, with no further clarification on when we can expect to see it. In that case, there’d be no better time than now to get acquainted with Mr. Delaney and his shady operations before Season 2 ever sets sail.
Peaky Blinders
When Cillian Murphy’s Tommy Shelby walked into the whiskey distillery that belonged to Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons, it sparked a rivalry in “Peaky Blinders” that became one of the brightest highlights of an already critically acclaimed show. Chronicling the real-life titular gang that operated between the 1880s and the 1920s, the family ran with and against a variety of criminal kings, though none had been more enigmatic and terrifying than Hardy’s fierce-tempered Jewish gang leader. Alfie Solomons became a force to be reckoned with, appearing in only 13 of the 36 episodes that made up Steven Knight’s period gangster series. Even so, whenever that snarling, beard-scratching brute walked into a room with the head of the Shelby family, it elevated that particular hour to an entirely different level.
An equal who was always at odds with Murphy’s hero, Hardy was so compelling because of the calculated and chaotic nature that he manifested for Alfie. His character was a necessary evil within the world of “Peaky Blinders” and one that could provide a story all on his own. The next time we’ll be reunited with Tommy Shelby will be in Netflix’s “Peaky Blinders” movie, “The Immortal Man,” but let’s just hope that amid the chaos, there’s room for Hardy’s screen-filling foe to have some quiet moments with his occasional business partner, or explosive ones.
MobLand
“MobLand”is thenewest entry among our recommended Hardy binge sessions.Initially written as a spin-off to “Ray Donovan,” Hardy plays Harry, a fixer to a highly feared crime family who come under fire after one of their own picks a fight with a long-standing enemy. With the empire at risk of collapse, Harry gets to work putting out the fires while others slowly start to burn at home.
Following Hardy’s recent stint of big screen roles with questionable accents, “MobLand” makes a nice change of pace by not only joining a top-tier group of talent from the other side of the pond but also stirring up what might be one of Hardy’s coolest characters to date. An expert negotiator, unsettling interrogator, and detached family man, Harry feels like a character cut to precise specifications for Hardy. He can steal a scene from his co-stars with either a glare, a terrifying whisper, or a set of nail scissors. He might often be as ham-fisted as a butcher’s arm-wrestling competition, but “MobLand” still has the chance to go down as one of Hardy’s most beloved roles and get you excited about its recently greenlit second season.
