Tom Hardy was strictly business on Sunday at the Toronto film festival. The actor is in town to support Legend, the period crime drama in which he plays both Kray twins. Later in the week, he’ll sing the praises of London Road, Rufus Norris’s verbatim musical, which also has a Canadian premiere at Tiff.
The actor shut down questions about the difficulties of discussing sexuality (Ronnie is openly gay in the film) from a local LGBT news organisation, and another concerning the notoriously troubled shoot for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s forthcoming film The Revenant, in which Hardy co-stars with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Hardy said he felt the controversy surrounding the making of the picture makes for “great marketing” – and no more. “I’m here to promote Legend,” he clarified.
Of the project, Hardy said that director Brian Helgeland had initially met him to discuss solely the role of Reg, inspired by Hardy’s performance in Warrior.
But Hardy had a different idea. “I wanted to play both of them from the start and I couldn’t see one from the other,” he said. “I enjoyed the script, and I enjoyed the characters as one. If I had to choose one and walk away from the table, I would have gone with Ron because there’s more on the smorgasbord to play with.”
Acting opposite himself posed a challenge. “No matter how much attention I give myself, I’m not there myself. That is the reality; I’m pretty much out to lunch, out to sea, adrift.” Asked if he was paid twice to play both brothers, Hardy said: “No. It’s why I’m an executive producer.”
