Tom Hardy - Early Contender For Man of 2012
With This Means War and The Dark Knight Rises being released within months of each other, the wider public could see more of Tom Hardy than ever before, and if they like what they see, Britain could finally have another dominant Hollywood actor on their hands.
2012 is a big year for Britain, what with the Olympics looming large and failure at Euro 2012 almost a dead cert. It is also a big year for British cinema, and in particular their actors. With Daniel Radcliffe running around a house for an hour and a half in The Woman In Black, Jamie Bell putting in a decent effort in Man On A Ledge, and Ray Winstones stellar performances in the Bet 365 adverts, Britain is calling out for a new, brilliant actor. And thats where Tom Hardy comes in. Granted, hes been knocking around for a while now, but 2012 is a big year for him too. It wasnt until 2008 when he really became noted in the mainstream for his acting thanks to his haunting, frightening and downright scary portrayal infamous prisoner of Charles Bronson in Bronson, but there were signs of his talent right from the outset. Even his bit-part appearances were memorable and noteworthy, such as Band Of Brothers, Black Hawk Down and his impressive villainous role Star Trek: Nemesis where he went toe-to-toe with Jean-Luc Picard and didn't blink. For avid film watchers, the brooding, handsome Hardy was popping up all over the place without ever really stealing the show; until Bronson came along. 
After getting his big audience with Bronson, Hardy went back to television and appeared in The Take and Wuthering Heights, where his portrayal as Heathcliff split audiences down the middle. His take on the famous old romantic brought out the darker side of an already dark novel, something which critics and audiences thrived upon. His really big break came in 2010s sci-fi thriller Inception, where he played Eames, but 2012 proposes an altogether different challenge for Hardy. This Means War is released this Friday in cinemas in Britain and it opens up a new audience for Hardy, many of whom will not know what to expect from this versatile and talented actor. The action based rom-com will ease Hardy into the light-hearted side of Hollywood as he battles with Chris Pine for Reese Witherspoons affections. How Hardy approaches this role, we will all have to wait and see, but it will be interesting to see how he fares. A good showing could see Hardy propelled into the limelight just in time for his next film to be released. The long awaited latest Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, sees Hardy take on the role of Bane, which will have him a more comfortable role where he can go back to his aggressive, dark and terrifying best. 
The pressure that could come with this success has befallen many a great actor before Hardy, but his chequered past would suggest he has dealt with a lot worse. He battled alcoholism and a crack-cocaine addiction in his early twenties before entering a rehab clinic and has now been sober since 2003. Now into his thirties, the still youthful-looking Hardy has a mature head on broad shoulders means he should be able to handle whatever fame throws at him. With This Means War and The Dark Knight Rises being released within months of each other, the wider public could see more of Tom Hardy than ever before, and if they like what they see, Britain could finally have another dominant actor on their hands.