Tom Hardy isn't an ordinary actor - that's as good as established. Not only is the Hammersmith-born performer capable of truly transformative performances ("He is outrageously tough sometimes and then very gentle," says acclaimed film critic David Thomson of his versatility), but he's also an enigma. He's the kind of actor that you look at and wonder what is going on in his head. Which makes him all the more interesting. Hardy has always showcased a knack for completely disappearing into his roles, something that he has achieved through a number of strange - and often questionable - methods. To say that he is a method actor might not be quite accurate, because Hardy doesn't deal in specific approaches to the form; he does whatever he feels like (or whatever it takes) in order to get inside a character's head - reason be damned. Whilst some of the following approaches have a touch of the method about them, then, others are more random in their make-up. Some, of course, are plainly bonkers... or just totally unexpected. What they tell you, however, is that Hardy is one of the most curious actors of his generation; a genuine marvel who turns out one brilliant performance after another. May he continue to enchant, frighten and dazzle audiences for years to come...