Tom Hardy has collected troves of knowledge and skill throughout his journey as an actor, forming a megastar career. But any education he received from director Guy Ritchie during their time on the 2008 “RocknRolla” film was gained from afar.
“I didn’t have very much to do with him … the first time I worked with him. Gerard (Butler) was leading that film and in many elements, we were support staff,” said Hardy. “So, I got to experience being on the Guy Ritchie set, and it was a bit from a position of not being a lead, and that’s a different responsibility.”
But time can bring people and experiences back around, especially in Hollywood. Since that film 17 years ago, Ritchie has transitioned into esteemed directorial status. And Hardy has morphed into a box office superstar with films like “The Dark Night” as the imposing villain Bane, and the titular role for Marvel’s “Venom” franchise. Now, the two have reunited for Ritchie’s gritty, yet sophisticated series “MobLand.”
“I was really keen to go back and work with him because he’s a fellow Brit and he’s done quite incredible work,” explained Hardy. “I wanted to go and play with him, actually, and see what that was like now I’m older, and it was good fun.”
The Paramount+ original series follows Harry Da Souza (Hardy), an intimidating, yet calm fixer for a London-based crime family hoping to find the missing son of a rival faction to prevent a catastrophic gang war.
How did Hardy prepare to play such a menacing, yet even-keeled character?
“No acting required” he said with a big laugh. “Just turn up and, ‘Oh, yeah, that makes sense’ and say the lines. Don’t bump into the furniture.”
The second episode of the 10-part “MobLand” series airs Sunday on Paramount+.
The series was created by Ronan Bennett, known for popular crime shows like “The Day of the Jackal” and “Top Boy,” and written with playwright Jez Butterworth. Ritchie serves as executive producer and directed the first two episodes. The “MobLand” idea began as a spinoff from Showtime’s popular “Ray Donovan” series, before becoming a stand-alone show.
Two-time Oscar-winner Helen Mirren stars as the devious Maeve, matriarch and manipulator of the crime family, while Pierce Brosnan plays her husband and mob leader, marking a reunion for the pair who worked on the 1980 film “The Long Good Friday.”
It may be hard to think of a role that Dame Mirren hasn’t played, but she found one with “MobLand.”
“There are always characters out there that are going to take you by surprise and … I think, ’Oh my god, I’ve never done anything like that before,” said the “1923” star who believes the line between shooting film and TV is now nearly nonexistent. “That’s one of the sort of beauties of my job, actually, is to constantly be entering into such very, very different worlds.”
Mirren said the opportunity to work with Hardy was intriguing.
“Tom’s involvement in it was one of the reasons I signed up because I’ve admired his work over many years,” Mirren said. “Different actors, you can see, ’Oh, they’re a great actor’ … they can perform. But certain actors like Tom, it’s an interior power that just communicates with the camera. And Tom’s got that. You know what? It’s called star power.”
The “MobLand” cast features Paddy Considine of “House of the Dragon” fame, Joanne Froggatt, Lara Pulver, Anson Boon and Mandeep Dhillon. While this show technically reunites Mirren and Brosnan, they also shot the upcoming “The Thursday Murder Club” film prior to this project.
While much was unknown when Brosnan signed on, “MobLand” had all the right ingredients for the former James Bond to dive in, starting with Ritchie, who released his Netflix series “The Gentlemen” last year.
“He’s naughty. He’s cheeky. He’s bold,” said Brosnan. “I love his work. His movies. The way he’s acquitted himself on the landscape of cinema. He’s a unique talent all his own … so I said yes. I wanted to go back to London. I wanted to work.”
Next for Hardy is the crime drama film “Havoc” premiering later this month, and there’s chatter of a potential sequel to his 2015 “Mad Max: Fury Road.” A second season of “Taboo” is on the way — nearly a decade after its debut. What about a “Spider-Man” and “Venom” crossover? Hardy addressed the rumors that an alleged project fell apart, clarifying it was never in the works.
“People embellish a story. I just said I would have loved to work with ‘Spider-Man,’ but it never happened, which is a fact. It hasn’t happened. And I’m no longer working with ‘Venom’ … it is a shame because my kids would love to watch Venom and Spider-Man together,” said Hardy. “I would have liked that.”
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