8 Reasons Why Tom Hardy Will Be The Biggest Actor Of 2015

5. He's Branching Out In Unexpected Ways

Not many have heard of Rufus Norris' London Road just yet, but those that do probably know it as "that musical about the Ipswich murders". It's a bold concept that Norris has brought from the stage to the screen - the lyrics are taken verbatim from interviews conducted with those who lived in the area where the killings took place - and it's obviously tricky material for any actor. Tom Hardy is one of the actors to rise to the challenge (his Locke co-star, Olivia Colman, also features). For an actor with such a hard-man image, London Road would appear to be an odd choice for Hardy - which is part of what makes his decision to take the part of a singing taxi driver so intriguing. Another risky performance - or, rather, performances - comes in Legend, in which Hardy takes on the tricky double role to play both Ronnie and Reggie Kray. There aren't many actors that can stretch themselves to conjure up two distinct characters when playing twins, but Hardy is clearly up for the challenge regardless.