Tom Hardy Just Gets Better With Age
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Roles in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises may have sent his career into overdrive, but fans have been devoted to British actor Tom Hardy for much longer than that. Many have been watching him since that first menacing turn in Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002 (he's the only actor to have played both a Batman and a Star Trek villain). The hot dad then spent years balancing indie films and period dramas before he conquered Hollywood. A few early adopters may have been in love with him for over a decade, but we've been trying to pinpoint the exact moment the world really sat up and paid attention . . . and we've settled on 2009. Why? If you've not seen him in Wuthering Heights with his wife, Charlotte Riley, do yourself a favor and hunt it down. And take a look at our photo chronology for more proof that was the year when everything changed for him!
Baby-faced in 2002.
Slick and smooth in 2002.
Fresh-faced and curtained in 2003.
Playing the part in 2004.
Casual and shaven-headed in 2005.
Sporting questionable facial hair in 2007.
Bulked up in 2008.
Scruffy chic in 2009.
Decidedly dapper in 2009.
Pensive in 2009.
A Hollywood heartthrob in 2011.
Laid-back in 2011.
The man in black in 2010.
The country gent in 2011.
Wrapped up in 2012.
Taking the beard to new levels in 2012.
We hope that was for a role.
Hairy in 2012.
Suited and booted in 2012.
Trench and tie in 2013.
In love in 2012.
Wanted in 2013.
Suave in 2013.
Debonair in 2013.
Fifty shades of grey in 2014.
Showing off his ink in 2014.
Kisses for Zora in 2014.
That smile in 2014.
Proud husband in 2014.
Jealous, us?
Cannes glam in 2015
Sexy in shades in 2015.
A total Legend in 2015.
With his dog Woodstock in 2015.
At the 2016 Academy Awards.
In London, 2016
With a couple cute puppies, 2016
At the world premiere of Dunkirk, 2017