Tom Hardy is one of the world's most famous and successful actors, starring in international
box office hits like 2018's Venom.
And he's been just as successful in his personal life: Hardy is the father of three children,
including two with his current wife Charlotte Riley, whom he married in 2014.
Still, even this massive success hasn't shielded Hardy from the harsh glare of the media spotlight,
which led to the most infamous moment in his career - a verbal throwdown with a reporter
who questioned him about his sexuality.
The awkward exchange occurred at the premiere of 2015's Legend at the Toronto International
Film Festival.
The hard hitting crime drama earned Hardy rave reviews for his dual roles as both Ronnie
and Reggie Kray, real life, openly gay twins who were also gangsters - and, according to
some sources, allegedly incestuous.
During the press conference for Legend, a reporter for the LGBTQ periodical Daily Xtra
asked a very personal question about Hardy's life in a very roundabout way.
"In the film, your character Ronnie is very open about his sexuality, but given interviews
you've done in the past, your own sexuality seems a bit more ambiguous."
With that setup, the reporter eventually asked,
"Do you find it hard for celebrities to talk to media about their sexuality?"
Hardy at first seemed confused by the question.
"What on earth are you on about?"
When the reporter indicated that they were referring to an interview Hardy had given
years earlier, Hardy got blunt - and then ended the line of questioning.
“But what is your question?
Are you asking me about my sexuality?”
“Um, sure.”
“Why?”
Well... at least Hardy only bit the reporter's head off metaphorically and not literally!
"Outstanding!
Now, let's bite all their heads off and pile them up in the corner!"
Of course, the "why" question was mostly rhetorical, as it was prompted by Hardy's 2008 interview
with the British LGBTQ magazine Attitude in which the star revealed he had previously
explored relationships with men.
"Of course I have.
I’m an actor for f---s sake.
I’m an artist.
I’ve played with everything and everyone.
But I’m not into men sexually.
I love the form and the physicality but the gay sex bit does nothing for me.
[...] But there’s plenty of stuff in a relationship with another man, especially gay men, that
I need in my life."
Initially, the interview went unnoticed, but after Hardy became a star, the quotes resurfaced,
leading Hardy to tell Marie Claire in 2011 that the whole thing had been taken out of
context.
"I don't regret anything I've ever said.
It's just a shame things are misconstrued and I don't get the opportunity to explain.”
Of course, that opportunity is exactly what the reporter from Daily Xtra was giving Hardy,
leading to quite a bit of debate among fans and in the media over whether the reporter
was out of line for asking the question, or whether Hardy's answer was out of line.
Time, for instance, sided with the interviewer.
For his part, Hardy later told The Daily Beast that it just wasn't the right time or place
to ask - or answer - that question.
"I'm under no obligation to share anything to do with my family, my children, my sexuality
- that's nobody's business but my own.
[...] It's important destigmatizing sexuality and gender inequality in the workplace, but
to put a man on the spot in a room full of people designed purely for a salacious reaction?
To be quite frank, it's rude."
Since then, Hardy has mostly kept out of the headlines.
In May, 2019, it was revealed that he had been dropped from the Elton John biopic Rocketman
in favor of star Taron Egerton, but that was reportedly because of Hardy's age and Egerton's
superior singing skills.
And in June, 2019, Hardy appeared alongside pal Prince Harry at a benefit concert, and
later made waves by speaking out against elephant poaching on social media.
Killing it in his career and his family life and paying it forward in the world?
Hardy may have given us one of the most uncomfortable interviews in recent memory, but so far, it
seems to have turned out okay.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Nicki Swift videos about your favorite stars are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.