Tom Hardy has starred in some of the most action-packed movies around. There are the slick martial art fighting scenes in Warrior, the gritty, fast-paced car chases in Mad Max: Fury Road, and alien monster brawls in the Venom trilogy, and then there are the action sequences in the new Netflix movie Havoc.
As the name implies, this film erupts like a tornado on an unrelenting path of destruction that will stop at nothing, and Hardy is at the centre of it. The Dark Knight Rises and Inception actor is known for big, thrilling sequences, which makes his team-up with Gareth Evans an exciting collaboration.
For the non-action movie buffs out there, Evans is known for making the martial arts films The Raid and The Raid 2, which brought the Indonesian-style martial art of Pencak Silat to Hollywood. The double bill has gained cult classic movie status due to its hyperrealistic action sequences.
In Evans' new movie, Havoc, Hardy can be seen running rampage as he faces off with Timothy Olyphant (Terminator Zero, Justified) in big showdowns, so it’s probably not too surprising that Hardy ranks it among his most physical roles.
What are Tom Hardy’s biggest action movies?
The thing about Gareth Evans is, he takes it to another level
Tom Hardy
When asked where Havoc sat on a scale of 1 to 10 – 1 being the least high-octane movie he’s ever done and 10 being the most – Hardy revealed that it’s among the most intense action films he’s ever done.
“It’s quite high actually, because it was a lot of physicality,” he said, while comparing it to other projects he’s worked on. “I suppose it was close to Warrior in that aspect, which was quite similar. That was six weeks of cage work.”
Hardy puts the action stunts in Havoc on par with not only one of the best martial arts sports movies, but also with some of the biggest blockbusters he's been in, including one of the best Marvel movies.
“Mad Max: Fury Road was quite physical as well,” he said before adding, “Venom, funnily enough, is quite physical, even though you don’t think it is. There’s a lot of puppeteering and wire work, a lot of running around and histrionics."
“But Havoc is very specific,” Hardy clarifies. “There’s a sports gamemanship element to it. There’s a competition element to the level of athleticism that goes on in the storytelling, so you have to keep up with the ride. It’s the genre of action.”
Indeed, the actor has nothing but praise for Evans and his heart-thumping action directing and screenwriting. “The thing about Gareth is, he takes it to another level.”
Does Tom Hardy perform his own action stunts?
It might really look like it’s him, but that’s the magic of the movies, isn’t it? Hardy reveals he’s never done any of his own stunts before. Instead, his stunt double does “all the dangerous stuff”.
“I don’t do my own stunts, but Jacob Tomuri – who's a really close friend of mine and who’s sort of a better-looking, stronger version of me – does all that. And it’s something amazing to watch as well."
“I’ll do bits and pieces of choreography that are safe. Whatever is deemed safe by people who are professional. It’s a bit boring, but you can’t have people having accidents.” It’s why there are whole teams of people supporting stunt directors, coordinators, and performers.
“It’s a risk mitigation environment. There are professionals that do this for a living,” Hardy said of the department that worked on what might become one of the best Netflix movies, admiringly.
“It’s all well and good, me pulling faces and creating characters that I love doing. But [these stunt performers] take them on a road trip, which requires you strapping in, being awake and aware of the possible threats, obstacles, and the problems that need solving in the moment with a symphony or an ensemble."
“Trying to make sure you’re telling stories at high speed is a great challenge.”
Havoc will premiere exclusively on Netflix, one of the best streaming services, this Friday on April 25.
