Tom Hardy has created his own impressive career in Hollywood, though he jokes that he actually “stole everything” from one of his frequent costars. Hardy started out his screen acting career in the cast of Band of Brothers and Black Hawk Down. It was not until his electrifying performance in Bronson that he was recognized as an immense talent.

From there, Hardy has defined his career with his Venom movies, his Oscar-nominated turn in The Revenant, and his collaborations with Christopher Nolan. Even in his lesser-known roles, Hardy has become known for delivering unique and wild performances, something that he claims is heavily inspired by another acclaimed actor.

Tom Hardy Says He “Stole Everything” From Gary Oldman

Hardy Calls Oldman His “Hero”

As much as it can feel hard to compare Tom Hardy to any other actor, Hardy himself freely, and perhaps jokingly, suggests that many of his memorable performances were stolen from Gary Oldman. By the time Hardy was establishing himself in the early 2000s, Oldman was already a renowned actor and known for his chameleon-like talents.

The two actors had the chance to work together for the first time in the excellent spy thriller movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. When asked about working with Oldman, Hardy admitted that “Gary Oldman is my hero, that’s it. He’s right up there.” He went on to explain that Oldman has inspired some of Hardy’s best performances (via Digital Spy):

“To work three times with him, this is crazy; this is a man that I’ve stolen everything I’ve done from. From Bronson, Stuart: A Life Backwards, that’s me trying to emulate what Gary’s done. To work with him makes me feel like I don’t have any characters of my own.”

Hardy’s comments came earlier in his career, before he was a proven star. His suggestion that his entire career was stolen from Oldman, though humorous, may be some insecurity in still finding his idenтιтy as an actor. Of course, it is also not hard to see some similarities between these two actors and their performances.

Both Hardy and Oldman seem determined to move far away from conventional performances, seemingly being attracted to the wilder and odder characters that are out there. They give bold performances that can often steal the show, no matter how small the role. However, while Hardy might admire Oldman as an actor, there is no taking away from his own talents.

Tom Hardy & Gary Oldman’s Movies Together Explained

The Actors Have Appeared In Four Movies Together

Tom Hardy got the chance to work with his hero, Gary Oldman, in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but they would eventually work on four projects together. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a Cold War thriller with Oldman earning his first Oscar nomination as MI-6 agent George Smiley and Hardy playing rogue operative Ricki Tarr.

Oldman and Hardy would then team up on a much bigger movie, working together in Christopher Nolan’s final Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Oldman made his third and final appearance in the franchise as Commissioner Jim Gordon, while Hardy gave an unforgettable performance as the main villain, Bane.

While both Oldman and Hardy are frequent collaborators with Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises was the only time they worked together in one of his movies. Their next film together was the Prohibition-era film Lawless, with Hardy playing a main role and Oldman making a small cameo. Their period thriller Child 44 was their overlooked final collaboration to date.

Even with four movies together, Hardy and Oldman haven’t had the chance to really act together in a substantial way. Their scenes together in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Dark Knight Rises are brief, and they don’t even share a scene in Lawless. They work more closely in Child 44, though the movie doesn’t match their talents.

After a decade since they last worked together, it would be a thrill to see them finally getting some great parts that allow Tom Hardy to go head-to-head with his acting hero.