Tom Hardy Woke Up Next to a “dude with a gun” One Day, During His Party Boy Phase – “I must have fallen asleep looking down the barrel”

Tom Hardy’s story from a troublesome young man to a global star seems like a movie script. The man who would eventually play Bane in The Dark Night Rises and Eddie Brock in Venom began as a model. However, despite his rising success, Hardy was fighting personal battles that could have ruined his life completely.

Today, Hardy is considered one of the most dedicated actors of the generation because of his transformations in movies like Bronson and Warrior. However, his real transformation occurred behind the scenes, which changed him from a self-destructive party boy to a well-respected actor.

Tom Hardy Once Woke Up Beside a Man With a Gun

Tom Hardy’s early life was very different from a usual struggling actor story. Growing up in a wealthy London family, he began using drugs at the age of 13. His teenage was all about rebellion. Getting expelled from boarding school for theft, stealing a Mercedes, and being arrested for gun possession at 17 were some of the things that happened to him.

However, Hardy managed to study at the Drama Centre London. But he took his demons with him into his early acting career. During an appearance on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, Hardy shared one of his bizarre stories from his partying days in LA.

I woke up in a bed in Los Angeles when I was supposed to meet, I think it was John Woo, one morning for something like…I think it was Bulletproof Monk. I woke up in a bed with a dude with a gun naked…with a cat as well. I don’t remember the cat or the dude.

He further added,

He’s naked, there’s a Gun, there’s a cat and the safety was off. That was the scary thing because I must have fallen asleep looking down the barrel.

By the end of 2003, Hardy had reached his breaking point. As per The Guardian, Hardy found himself on the streets of Soho, waking up from a substance blackout. After that, the actor went to rehab and successfully completed his program.

Hardy then got more serious in his career, which is also evident from his filmography. The actor described himself as being “out of control” during most of his youth, and many of the events from his youth are now lost to blackouts.

Tom Hardy’s Path to Redemption

During his struggling phase, Hardy remained active in the industry, though his addiction troubled him at times. He was trying to build a career while hiding his struggles. He told The King’s Trust in an interview,

I didn’t want anyone to know I was out of control, but I couldn’t hide it. Eventually, the body gives up. I was completely kaput.

When Hardy first decided to seek help in 2003, he was not absolutely confident about his decision. “I went in thinking I’d do it for a little bit, until I can go out and drink and people forgive me,” he admitted to The King’s Trust. Yet when he finished his 28-day stint and listened to others with similar experiences, he realized he had a problem.

Hardy’s rehabilitation time came along with the breakthrough of his career. He channeled his addictive personality into his work. “Sometimes it’s like drinking the next beer, I will do the next film and the next, keep going, keep going,” he explained.

Hardy remains humble and somewhat anxious about his achievements, although he has made his name in the history of cinema. “People will say ‘Tommy you’re doing well’ and I say ‘Am I?’,” he shared. This uncertainty is what forces him to go on, although in a much more constructive way now.