In his recently published memoir, Patrick Stewart admits that he was unaware of Tom Hardy's potential to become an acting legend during their time working together.
Acting legend Patrick Stewart is happy to have to eat his words about Tom Hardy, who starred alongside him in Star Trek: Nemesis. When the fourth and last Star Trek: The Next Generation feature film was released in theaters exactly twenty one years ago, Hardy was a Hollywood newcomer who had almost no name recognition. In addition, Stewart had a negative opinion of the acting ability as well as the attitude of his younger colleague.
Tom, true to his nature, did not leave with any fanfare or politeness on the evening that he finished his job; rather, he quietly walked out the door. As it came to a close, I whispered to Brent [Spiner] and Jonathan [Frakes], 'And there goes someone I suppose we shall never hear of again.' The fact that Tom has shown me that I was mistaken about something brings me nothing but joy.
Hardy played the role of the Praetor Shinzon, a clone of Captain Picard that was developed by the Romulans and known by them as the Praetor. When we look back, it's clear that almost nobody could have imagined Hardy being the A-list talent that he is now. But in 2002, the actor played a villain that didn't live up to expectations in what turned out to be TNG's most commercially unsuccessful appearance on the big screen.
The global total for Star Trek: Nemesis's earnings was barely $67 million. When compared, its predecessor, Star Trek: Insurrection, earned a total of $112.6 million worldwide and $70.2 million in the United States alone. However, as we and Patrick Stewart are now aware, Star Trek: Nemesis marked the beginning of a huge Hollywood career for Tom Hardy, who has since been nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the film.
Patrick Stewart was not captivated by Tom Hardy's performance.
It's possible that Sir Patrick Stewart didn't think much of Tom Hardy back in 2002, but the young actor has certainly come into his own over the course of the subsequent twenty years. Hardy gave a mesmerizing performance as the Batman's (Christian Bale) adversary Bane in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and he's become one of the brightest spots in Marvel's recent on-screen entries as the symbiote Venom, in addition to delivering captivating performances in films such as Inception, Bronson, Warrior, The Drop, and more. Hardy also played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
To be truthful, Stewart was not overly enthusiastic about the Star Trek sequel that had Hardy in the role of the antagonist. During the course of the same interview, Stewart stated:
"The film Nemesis, which was released in 2002, was extremely lackluster. I didn't have a single moment that was very fun to play, and the actor who played the film's antagonist, Shinzon, was an eccentric young man from London who worked alone. Tom Hardy was the moniker he went by.
Tom refused to interact socially with any of us, even himself. Never said "Good morning" or "Good night," and he spent the hours when he wasn't needed on set hanging out in his trailer with his girlfriend during those times. [He] did not in any way present a confrontational demeanor. Simply said, it was difficult to develop any sort of rapport with him."
Since breaking the back of Batman in The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy has gone on to make noteworthy performances in films such as The Revenant, Dunkirk, and, of course, Mad Max: Fury Road. However, for a significant number of Marvel fans, Hardy will continue to embody the charismatic anti-hero Venom well into the foreseeable future. And on July 12, 2024, the yet-untitled sequel to Venom is scheduled to be released in theaters, with Tom Hardy reprising his roles as both the smooth-talking symbiote and Eddie Brock, the investigative reporter who hosts him.
Tom Hardy's next film, The Bikeriders, is set to be released in the United States on December 1, 2023, and it will be his opportunity to be noticed by audiences there.
