20 Times Tom Hardy Made You Forget About Bae

Born in Hammersmith, London, Tom Hardy is one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. He's an A-lister, a devoted father, loving husband, best friends with Leo DiCaprio and a counselor to young teenagers through a dramatic arts mentorship program.

He also battled his own demons, recovering from, and uses his own personal experience to mentor others through the Princes Trust program, which he is an ambassador for. In his own words: "Everest is an obvious mountain. Personal mountains are much harder to climb."

Only last month, he became a real-life superhero when he chased thieves who had stolen a motorcycle, through the streets of London. The Sun reported that Hardy ran through building sites and gardens to catch up with the perpetrators. We think everything above and the pictures that follow prove that Tom Hardy is the most perfect man to grace the earth.

20 When He Bulked Out For Warrior

In 2011, the 5 foot 9" actor had to bulk out his body for the movie Warrior, which saw him become a MMA fighter. His other alpha male roles as Charles Bronson in Bronson and Bane in The Dark Knight Rises also required a gruelling workout routine too. He's no stranger to sweating it out and he always had his favourite personal trainer and coach, Patrick 'P-Nut' Monroe, by his side.

Monroe told Coach magazine, "For Warrior, I didn't want to train Tom to look like he could fight, I wanted to train him to actually fight. We spent three months working striking and the muscles involved in that. I knew it would be impossible for him to interpret the choreography without knowing how to move naturally. You can't act like you can dance if you can't dance."

19 When Someone Leaked His Old Myspace Photos Online

Remember MySpace? The world's first social media craze, back when nobody really had a clue about crafting an online presence, was just filled with profiles containing all our embarrassing photos. Tom Hardy was reminded of that all too well, as his leaked old MySpace profile showed the world never-before-seen pictures back from his younger days. Like this whimsical bathroom selfie pictured above (thank you God) where he is simply just enjoying his own reflection.

Other photos which were leaked online included him topless with his hands down his briefs and another of him stood in a doorway posed in just a pair of tight white briefs. He likely had no clue these images were still floating around online as - at the time of the leak - his last login had been 897 days earlier.

18 When He Posed On The Beach

Another photo that leaked from Hardy's former MySpace page was this shot of him relaxing at a beach - clearly without a care in the world. Following the leak, the pictures went viral and had been viewed by his fans more than 2 million times. Although some of the shots were less than flattering, he told Sky News that he wasn't ashamed by them appearing online.

He explained, "I've got no shame about my MySpace photos, especially the one of me in my underpants, which is a glorious photo of a man in his natural habitat." Before adding, "In America, they say, 'You should be ashamed of this,' but I'm actually not remotely ashamed - that is me in my natural habitat, thank you." We also think he doesn't have a damn thing to be ashamed of.

17 Whenever He Gives Anyone "That Look" 

He might always play the hard man on the big screen, but in real-life Tom Hardy is an angel. Violence is a huge turn off for the London-born actor and off-set he has a naturally calm persona. Speaking to Esquire magazine, he revealed, "The compelling nature of violence and danger is that it's so much nicer to watch it onscreen than to be in the room with that person."

When questioned how he feels when other people view him as a man with a lust for anger, he answered, "See, I trust that I'm not really that person. So I laugh when I hear about the myths, and I quite like them as well." Wait, so he's really a sweetheart and was just acting the whole time? I think we just fell in love even more.

16 When He Cuddled A Puppy 

One of the sweetest things about Tom Hardy is his love for dogs. He has campaigned with PETA for better animal rights and has three pooches of his own. In 2007, he told Dogs Today, "I wouldn't go to class unless Max (his childhood dog) was allowed in. My old drama teacher said, 'I remember when you used to walk into class with your dog in one hand and a can of Coke in the other.'"

He recalled, "Max was my support unit, it's like I had a focus; I had an identity and higher self-esteem because something relied on me and loved me constantly. Then I felt important. I can't stand those kind that fight their dogs, but I wonder how many sleep with their dogs under the covers at night? I'm very, very lucky that people - from 17 to now - have always allowed me to have my dog around."

15 When He Took A Stroll With His Best Friend 

During the premiere for the Kray twins' biopic Legend, Tom Hardy decided to take his dog, a golden retriever named Woody, along to walk the red carpet by his side. In the above picture, he can be seen with his other beloved pooch, Georgia. In 2012, he previously told Detail magazine, "I don't have any friends. So I like to keep (to) myself. I have a dog and a son. A dog couldn't do anything to upset me, you know, and neither could my son."

Now his family unit has extended. He married his wife, British actress Charlotte Riley, in 2014, and together they introduced their son the same year. With so much love between them all it's no wonder he doesn't feel the need for friends.

14 When He Posed With His Newborn Son

Eight years ago, Tom and his girlfriend Rachel Speed welcomed his first son Louis into the world. His son finally made him give up a long-term battle with drink and drugs. He revealed to The Daily Mail, "(Louis' birth) was when the penny dropped that there was no longer very much time for me to think about myself any more because there is somebody now on the planet who really needs me to get my act together and focus on something that is more important than me."

He had previously been expelled from school at the age of 16-years-old for stealing and became addicted to alcohol and crack cocaine, which would see him running into trouble with the law. Nowadays, he is sober and one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood.

13 Okay Just One More…

Tom Hardy first met Charlotte Riley when they starred together in Sky Atlantic's version of Wuthering Heights. They now have a two-year-old child together, although, they have yet to reveal the name or gender of the child publicly.

Charlotte spoke to The Guardian about her plans to improve childcare for working parents in showbiz. She explained, "Me and (fellow actress) Sarah Solemani have a project called Ready Set Play, where we've designed an on-set childcare bus. I also work with a charity called Raising Films, which did a survey where 79% of people in our industry said becoming a parent had negatively impacted on their career. Goldman Sachs has figured this out and got nurseries in its buildings. Our business needs to get up to speed."

12 When He First Started To Become A Household Name 

Tom Hardy's big break came from his role in Bronson, a violently charged biopic about Britain's most violent prisoner, Charles Bronson. Although, the role required him to act out some depraved and frightening acts (he really had to dig out his inner psycho for this role), he is "frightened" of male presence in real-life.

Speaking to Esquire, he revealed, "I have always been frightened with men, to the point where I couldn't go into a gym because of the testosterone, and I felt weak. I don't feel very manly. I don't feel rugged and strong and capable in real life, not how I imagine a man ought to be. So I seek it, to mimic it and maybe understand it, or maybe to draw it into my own reality."

11 When He Became Best Friends With Leonardo DiCaprio

One of our favorite bromances of the past few years has been that between A-listers Tom Hardy and Leonardo Di Caprio. It turns out that Leo is actually Tom's biggest fan and cheerleader. (I mean talk about the ultimate squad goals!) Originally, Sean Penn was set to co-star in The Revenant, but when he was not available for shooting, Leo personally suggested Tom for the role.

Leo told press, "Before us being friends through the years, I recognized Tom as an incredibly unique talent. He's a force of nature." Tom also added that during intense scenes for The Revenant, he would often suggest a cuddle, revealing, "When things get a bit too serious, I go, 'Why don't we have a cuddle in front of all these people here?' It ends with both of us falling down in the snow. I think that's a good thing."

10 When He Was Clearly Dreaming Of You  

Tom told The Independent that there are three things he likes, jokingly, he revealed, "I like dogs, I like New York and I like characters that are desperate and lonely and aren't normally looked at under the microscope. Hustlers and villains and drunks and homeless people and loneliness; disparity and the losers." Which explains why he's attracted to the darker roles that are on offer.

His former mentor at the London Drama Centre also trained Sir Anthony Hopkins who is best known for his role in Silence of the Lambs. Tom attended the school full-time but was pulled out early for a role in Band of Brothers. Tom added, "You have to try everything and it's all a process of elimination. But ultimately you find your path."

9 When He Was Revealed As The New Mad Max

Tom's childhood dog named Max, who was given to him when he was a young teenager, sadly passed away in 2011. The dog was named after Mad Max from the 1979 movie, then in 2015 it was announced that Tom would take over the role as the title character in Mad Max: Fury Road; co-starring with Charlize Theron.

Taking the role was difficult for Tom because he had to be away from his then 6-year-old son, Louis, for almost a year as he was shooting in Australia. He told The Independent, "(Mad Max) has come at a time in my life when I'm actually settled. All this was a fantasy before but now that it's happened, I can't actually get past the idea of being away from my child for 11 months. I'm going to be in denial until I'm on the plane."

8 When He Shaved His Head 

In 2002, Tom landed his first big screen role in Star Trek: Nemesis, a role which "terrified" him. He told Total Film, "I was terrified. I was genuinely out of my depth. They'd already shot half the movie before I turned up. So it was like walk in, straight in, out the frying pan, into the fire, get on with it." He is the only actor to play a villain in both the Star Trek and Batman franchises.

Despite beginner's nerves, he said that his entire career is one big learning curve, revealing, "If you're on something, once you've done it, you move straight onto the next one. But I see it all as a big school. What we do in many ways is a university of a type, metaphorically speaking, and I have the opportunity to study people and life through my work. I open up doors to experiences that I wouldn't have if my job wasn't this, and I get to visit lots of places, in extremis."

7  … Or Grew It Long (We Didn't Care) 

If you're a big fan of reality television shows then expect plenty of date nights watching reruns with Tom (Yeah, right, we wish too!) He said that he enjoys the shows because it helps him with ideas for characters, revealing, "It's great people-watching. I'll steal characters because they're real people. I take something from everybody. I'll steal you at some point… ". (Please do!) He always draws inspiration from documentaries.

He also offers huge thanks to his agent, known as "Lindy", and even has her name tattooed under a dragon on his underarm. This was based on his promise to her when he first kick started his career and said, "If you ever get me to Hollywood, I'll get your name tattooed on me." So he did.

6 When He Could Rock A Suit Like Nobody Else 

Tom Hardy is such a talented actor that he managed to play both London mobsters and twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray in the film Legend. Tom convinced writer and director Brian Helgeland, who also wrote the script for LA Confidential, that he could play both roles.

Speaking with Yahoo, Helgeland said, "My initial instinct was to get two guys to play the brothers. Casting two guys means you're tied in to having guys who look similar. I figured I'd try to get Tom for Reggie then worry about someone you'd believe as his twin brother. He was talking about both brothers. He was very familiar with them as most people over there are. I thought he could pull it off because he has such a take on both of them." The rest is British cinema history.

5 … Or Took The Suit Off (We Didn't Mind) 

To keep in shape, Tom loves the martial arts of Jiu Jitsu and Capoeira. Although now he's starting the feel the burn at age 39 of the intense workout methods he endures for movie roles.

Speaking about his role as Bane in the Dark Knight, he told The Daily Beast, "I think you pay the price with any drastic physical changes. It was alright when I was younger but I think as you get into your 40s you have to be more mindful of the rapid training, packing on a lot of weight and getting physical, and then not having enough time to keep training because you're busy filming, so your body is swimming in two different directions at the same time." We think he should take it easy too, as nobody wants to see those heavy action roles to come to an end for him.

4 When He Read Everyone A Bedtime Story 

Tom Hardy fans were delighted when it was announced he was picked to read a bedtime story on CBeebies - the BBC's channel for toddlers. Sat in a library, with his signature raspy voice, he read Ross Collins' There's A Bear On My Chair. He ended the show by looking into the camera and reading, "I've spotted that you're not in bed yet. Quick go on. Get yourself tucked up and I'll see you very soon for another bedtime story until then night night."

One fan tweeted, "Dear God, I'm sat watching Tom Hardy on CBeebies wishing he really would jump out in his underwear." Another wrote, "I was ready for bed after that and I'm not even 3 years old." His voice was apparently so soothing that other fans suggested he offer his voice to a series of audiobooks - with erotic fiction being the most suggested.

3 When He First Appeared In Band of Brothers

Both Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender were headhunted by talent scouts during their time at drama school for roles in HBO's Band of Brothers. Tom previously said that Michael Fassbender was the greatest actor in his drama school. Tom's role as Private Janovec began with his first scene, in bed with a local woman, before an officer bursts in and put an end to the passionate moment. It was Tom's first on-screen credit.

In case you wondered how much Tom Hardy there is to see out there, alongside Band of Brothers, he has also appeared fully nude (a.k.a everything on show) in Bronson, Sergeant Slaughter, My Big Brother, Colditz and Stuart: A Life Backwards - which was the film where him and Benedict Cumberbatch became close friends.

2 When He Fully Stripped Off For Taboo

Tom Hardy managed to send Twitter into meltdown once again when he appeared half naked in his new TV series, Taboo, which was co-written by his father. In one scene he appeared in just a loincloth although he lated stated that he wanted to go full-nudity. Likely forgetting this was the BBC known for it's family orientated viewing.

Tom later told the BBC, "You're lucky there was a loincloth because I didn't want one. It's not a period drama until someone gets naked and covers themselves in blood. At least you're showing willing." The pictures of full-frontal Tom have leaked online when the paparazzi snapped shots of him filming and he didn't have a single piece of clothing on. Something he likely knows about but just doesn't care.

1 When He Kills It With "That" Smile

In 1998, when he was aged just 21-years-old, Tom Hardy won The Big Breakfast's Find Me a Supermodel competition, which landed him a modeling contract with Models One. His chiseled looks won him work as a model although there is one tiny flaw on his body - he stabbed a knife through his finger when it was placed on a chopping board which left it permanently bent. It also took him three operations to make a closed fist.

This year, Tom will be no stranger to our screens as he will be making appearances in war epic Dunkirk and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He will also take a lead role in the much- anticipated Al Capone biopic, Fonzo, which will be directed by Josh Trank (Fantastic Four, Chronicle).