Joel Edgerton: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Brendan Conlon - Warrior

If you're an up and coming Hollywood star it feels like it's obligatory to buff up at one point or another and prove yourself in the ring - in the case of Warrior that ring is a literal one, and Edgerton toned up alongside Tom Hardy to play a mixed martial artist teacher returning to the ring to fight his brother. Sports movie fans had a field day with Warrior, and it's a testament to Joel Edgerton that he was able to hold his own on screen alongside Tom Hardy, another great actor enjoying a similar career trajectory in recent years. Playing brothers, their on-screen chemistry is striking leading to the emotional punch (forgive the pun) in the film's finale. Edgerton and Hardy (Warrior is essentially a double act) balance the action in the ring with some subtle scenes of their personal lives, with Edgerton's reluctant warrior making him more compelling than most characters found in similar sports dramas.